E paper pdf (27 05 2015) khi

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CJ SAYS JC NOT MANDATED TO ASSESS RIGGING IN EVERY CONSTITUENCY

Cabinet approves budget strategy for 2015-16 PM stresses budget should focus on welfare, prosperity of common people Finance minister promises that budget will better overall economy, generate employment Says tax collection increased by 12.8pc with addition of 200,000 taxpayers in last two years

mammoth Rs 359.4b budget allocated for 19 CPEC projects Wednesday, 27 May, 2015 | Shaban 8, 1436 Rs 17.00 | Vol V No 328 | 16 Pages | Karachi Edition

STORY ON PAGE 02

STORIES ON PAGE 02

AXACT-LY A SCAM! FIA nails Axact CEO, has sufficient proof of fake degree scam FIA Sindh DG says ‘hundreds of thousands’ of fake degrees found in Axact’s Karachi office FIR against Shoaib Shaikh to include sections related to money laundering and cyber crime STORY ON PAGE 03

BLACK COATS ShOw ‘STRONG ARm’ OF ThE LAw Lawyers shun courts, protest against Daska incident across province, vandalise Punjab Assembly entrance, police van LAHORE: Protesting lawyers shout slogans after they tried to break into the Punjab Assembly during a violent demonstration on Tuesday.

The lawyers then set the fiberglass shed of the building on fire and damaged a police vehicle when they were stopped by police from entering the provincial assembly. PPI

STORY ON PAGE 04

NAWAZ AND NISAR BURY THE HATCHET Interior minister assured of no interference in affairs of his ministry, release of funds for NACTA STORY ON PAGE 03

PAKISTAN BEAT ZIMBABWE IN HIGHSCORING CONTEST STORY ON BACK PAGE

02 NEWS

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Cabinet approves budget strategy for 2015-16 PM STRESSES BUDGET SHOULD FOCUS ON WELFARE, PROSPERITY OF COMMON PEOPLE

FINANCE MINISTER PROMISES THAT BUDGET WILL BETTER OVERALL ECONOMY, GENERATE EMPLOYMENT

SAYS TAX COLLECTION INCREASED BY 12.8PC WITH ADDITION OF 200,000 TAXPAYERS IN LAST TWO YEARS ISLAMABAD

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mittances to Pakistan. He directed that steps should be taken to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to send remittances through banking channels.

Moreover, the prime minister expressed satisfaction that the reduction in policy rate from 8 per cent to 7 per cent will help encourage investment in the country. The prime minister also directed the Ministry of Commerce to gear up efforts to increase exports.

The prime minister directed that the overall prosperity of the masses should be the top priority in the next budget and said that the current trend of GDP growth should continue to increase the employment opportunities for the youth. He said that we must address the issues of agriculture and manufacturing sectors to boost growth and work day in and day out to further strengthen country’s economy.

The cabinet after detailed discussion gave approval to budget strategy paper 2015-16. The meeting took note that while benefits of mega projects in the pipeline will start unfolding in next five to ten years, immediate measures were needed to encourage investment in the private sector.

Earlier, Finance Minister Senator

STAFF REPORT

HE Federal Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday approved the budget strategy for 2015-16.

Addressing on the occasion, the prime minister said that the upcoming budget should focus on the welfare of common people so that the process of transferring the fruits of growing economic stability of the country is further strengthened. Sharif appreciated the fact that key economic indicators, which had hit rock bottom two years ago have improved remarkably. He added that out-of-box solutions must be explored in designing tax proposals for broadening the base and for increasing revenues. He said that a system should be devised which results in reduction of corruption and encourage voluntary compliance from taxpayers.

The prime minister congratulated the finance minister and his team on achieving high growth and economic stability in the country. He lauded the efforts of the expatriate Pakistanis for sending their re-

PESHAWAR-BOUND TRAIN DERAILS DUE TO SPEEDING

Ishaq Dar and Finance Division Secretary Dr Waqar Masood Khan gave a detailed presentation to the cabinet members on the strategy being followed in formulation of proposals for the next budget.

The finance minister said that the government was concentrating on major policy initiatives aimed at consolidating stability and spurring growth.

“When we took the reins of the government, the economy was weak and fragile and the growth rate averaged less than 3 per cent and inflation had averaged around 12 per cent. The circular debt of Rs 503 billion was crippling the power sector and economy. The fiscal deficit was hovering around 8.8 per cent and there were predictions of default. However due to economic policies of the government, the economy is now performing well,” said Dar, adding that in the medium term the plan was to gradually grow GDP to around 7 per cent and con-

tain inflation to less than 6 per cent.

The finance minister said the government intended to bring down fiscal deficit to 4 per cent and increase foreign exchange reserves to US $ 20 billion. “We have also set the target of increasing taxGDP Ratio to 13 per cent and increase exports to US $ 32 billion,” he said He briefed the cabinet that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s tax collection had increased from Rs 1,946 billion in 2012-13 to Rs 2,266 billion in 2013-14 and during the last 10 months the tax collection has reached Rs 1,968 billion with an increase of 12.8 per cent from the corresponding period of last financial year.

There has been an increase of 200,000 taxpayers in the last two years, he informed.

Moreover, the finance minister said that in the first year the government achieved GDP growth rate of 4.02 per cent and during the current year it will achieve 4.24 per cent, which is highest in

MAMMOTH RS 359.4B BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR 19 CPEC PROJECTS

MULTAN: A Peshawar-bound train derailed near Umerkot in Rajanpur owing to over-speeding on Tuesday.

Initial reports had claimed that the Khushal Khan Express’s bogeys toppled over following a blast on the track.

However, police officials said the train derailed as the railway track was weak and the train was speeding beyond prescribed limit. “The train slipped from the railway track due to high speed and probably a weak railway track,” Police Superintendent Fazal Rehman said.

“There are no signs of any bomb blast or any hole on the railway track and surroundings,” he said, nullifying earlier reports that a remotely-controlled bomb was planted on the railway track. “All nine bogeys of the train derailed,” Rehman added. Soon after the incident, police arrived at the scene and rushed the injured to the hospital. As per initial reports, more than 100 people suffered injuries owing to the incident. Of them, 10, including a woman, are said to be in critical condition. Over the past five years, Khushaal Khan Express has been attacked seven times in Rajanpur district. STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD AMER SIAL

The government on Tuesday finalised a mammoth Rs 359.4 billion for 19 development projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for next financial year’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

This was decided at the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC), chaired by the Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal. The APCC helped finalise the development outlay for the next financial year.

According to the details, overall the development spending is estimated to be over Rs 1,400 billion during the next financial year, including a Rs 838 billion provincial component. The total cost of projects under CPEC is estimated to be Rs 1.122 trillion, while during the next financial year the allocation will be Rs 359.4 billion, out of which Rs 234.4 billion have been allocated for road and infrastructure projects while Rs 125 billion have

been allocated for LNG based power projects. The government has allocated Rs 200 billion for highways, Rs 40 billion for railways while higher education gets an allocation of Rs 21 billion.

The allocation approved under CPEC projects is Rs 7 billion for New Gwadar International Airport, Rs 1 billion for land acquisition of Karachi - Lahore Motorway, Rs 76 billion for 387 km long Multan Sukkur Motorway, Rs 10.6 billion for Lahore - Abdul Hakeem Road, Rs 12.4 billion for Sukkur - Hyderabad Road, Rs 74.5 billion for Raikot - Havelian - Islamabad Road, Rs 28.5 billion for KKH ThakotHavelian Road, Rs 6 billion for Thakot to Havelian Road, Rs 4 billion for Construction of Break Waters (CPEC), Rs 4.7 billion for Construction of Eastbay Expressway, Rs 900 million for Dredging of Berthing Areas and Channel for Additional Terminal, Rs 1.2 billion for Infrastructure Development for EPZA and GIEDA, Gwadar, Rs 3 billion Necessary Facilities of Fresh

Water Treatment and Supply Gwadar, Rs 984 million for PakChina Technical and Vocational Institute at Gwadar, Rs 2 billion for Upgradation of Existing 50 Bed Hospital to 300 beds Gwadar, Rs 290 million for Comprehensive Feasibility Study for Upgradation of Mainline, Rs 1.2 billion for Installation of 300 MW Coal Fired Power Plant at Gwadar, Rs 62.5 billion for LNG Based Power Plant at Balloki, Rs 62.5 billion for LNG Based Power Plant at Haveli Bahadurshah.

The government has projected a GDP growth rate of 5.5 per cent for 2015-16 backed by a projected growth of 3.9 per cent in agriculture, 6.4 per cent industry, with six per cent in large scale manufacturing sector, 8.3 per cent in small and household, 8.5 per cent in construction industry and six per cent in electricity generation and gas distribution, and 5.7 per cent in the services sector.

Inflation is projected to rise to six per cent in 2015-16 compared to a provisional estimate of 3.6 per cent in the current year.

MQM MEN IN CUSTODY OVER SAFOORA MASSACRE RANGERS ARREST FOUR MQM ACTIVISTS FROM KU STAFF TOWN FOR ALLEGEDLY PLANNING ATTACK ON ISMAILIS KARACHI AAMIR MAJEED

Investigation into the attack on Ismailis’ bus in Karachi’s Safoora Goth area, which claimed 45 lives, has revealed that the Rangers have arrested four suspects associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) from the Karachi University (KU)’s Staff Town for their alleged involvement in planning the assault, Pakistan Today has learnt.

Per details, a heavy contingent of Rangers surrounded KU’s Staff Town late on May 20, targeted some houses and picked up four MQM activists associated

with MQM’s Scheme-33 Unit, including a former unit in-charge. The arrested men were identified as Muhammad Shahid alias Athara, Zeeshan Amin alias Shaan, Muhammad Adnan Habib alias Charas and his brother Muhammad Faizan Habib alias Fido.

Shahid has been serving as a clerk in KU’s accounts section and had also served as MQM Scheme-33 unit incharge. Zeeshan has been serving as a clerk in KU’s audit department, whose brother Umair Amin was arrested few months ago for alleged involvement in targeted killings in Karachi.

Adnan has been serving as non-

teaching staff in KU’s Chemistry Department while his brother Faizan was said to be associated with the Department of Health and Physical Education.

The arrested men had been residing in KU’s Staff Town for many years.

“These suspects allegedly took part in planning of the attack and were not part of the actual strike,” an official of a security agency told Pakistan Today. However, Rangers high-ups did not comment on the arrests despite repeated phone calls and text messages.

Earlier, Rangers arrested KU’s security guard, Muhammad Javed alias Javed Mohajir son of Muhammad Shariff, in November 2013. He was associated with MQM and accused of killing several people on May 12, 2007 on arrival of former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in Karachi.

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MQM REJECTS CHARGES: However, MQM has rejected the allegations levelled against the arrested party workers, claiming that MQM workers are “true patriots and cannot even think of becoming a part of any anti-state activity”.

MQM Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Aminul Haque said that MQM is a “peace-loving democratic party”. “MQM had been accused of making Jinnahpur maps and supporting India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) secret mission in the country in the past. However, those who levelled these allegations against the party took their words back,” Haque added.

“MQM has been accused again for attacking Ismaili community, but it would be proved shortly that MQM has no link with this incident,” Haque maintained.

the last seven years.

“We have also brought down budget deficit from 8.2 per cent in 2012-13 to 5 per cent during the current year. Overseas remittances have also reached US $ 14.8 billion during the period of July- April of the current fiscal year, showing a growth of 16.06 per cent,” he said, adding that the foreign exchange reserves also reached to US $ 17.5 billion on May 25.

Dar said that the budget will bring encouraging incentives for the betterment of the overall economy and generate employment opportunities.

“We have tried to incorporate the suggestions from different sections of the economy in this budget and this is the most appropriate time to boost investment in areas which have the potential to grow at a high rate when the interest rates are historically low and we have more space available for encouraging development works.”

CJ SAYS JC NOT MANDATED TO ASSESS RIGGING IN EVERY CONSTITUENCY ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Nasirul Mulk on Tuesday said that the judicial commission has not been mandated to assess allegations of election rigging in every constituency individually, adding that the commission is only reviewing the allegations of rigging in the general election as a whole. The CJP has summoned a session in his chambers today (Wednesday) regarding the procedure of obtaining Form 15. According to details, PTI’s attorney Abdul Hafiz Pirzada and Balochistan National Party’s lawyer Shah Khawar argued with former Balochistan election commissioner Syed Sultan. Pirzada asked why 8 per cent additional ballot papers were published when only 4 per cent are allowed to which Sultan replied he understands the technical matters more. He said the constituencies that have more statistical blocks publish more ballot papers and that the electoral material was received by the returning officers in army’s supervision. The former Balochistan EC said that tribunals have concluded election related complaints and that general elections and local bodies elections were held in the province under ‘unfavourable’ conditions and that one person also passed away in the process. After the arguments, the CJ said that it is not the mandate of the judicial commission to individually review allegations in every constituency. Justice Amir Hani Muslim said that if result of any constituency was challenged in the tribunal then this has nothing to do with the enquiry commission. The chief justice adjourned the hearing until Thursday. STAFF REPORT

FIVE SECURITY PERSONNEL INJURED IN BAJAUR BLAST PESHAWAR: At least five security personnel were seriously injured in a blast that occurred while they attempted to defuse an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the troubled Bajaur Agency. The personnel were defusing the explosives in the Babara Chaharmang area of Nawagai sub division, some 20 kilometers west of the agency’s headquarters Khar on Tuesday. An official of the political administration said the personnel had received information of the IED’s presence, which, upon attempts to defuse, exploded. STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

NEWS

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fia nails axaCt Ceo, has suffiCient proof of fake degree sCam FIA SINDH DG SAYS ‘HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS’ OF FAKE DEGREES FOUND IN AXACT’S KARACHI OFFICE KARACHI

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STAFF REPORT

HE man at the centre of the world’s biggest education scam, Axact Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, was taken into custody late on Tuesday night by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in connection with the ongoing probe into the fake degree scandal that has been making rounds in international and national media following a report in The New York Times last week.

FIA Sindh Director General Shahid

WALSH ENDORSES NIZAMI’S ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPULSION FROM PAKISTAN NEWS DESK New York Times Pakistan Bureau Chief Declan Walsh has confirmed the account of his expulsion from Pakistan in the year 2013 narrated by Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami, who was the caretaker minister for information and broadcasting at that time.

In a tweet on May 25, Walsh said: “Former minister Arif Nizami (@paktoday) offers a candid, accurate account of my departure from Pakistan in 2013.”

In his article published in Pakistan Today’s weekly news magazine DNA on May 23 focussing on the Axact fake degree scandal and its CEO Shoaib Shaikh’s allegations against the NYT reporter of maligning Pakistan deliberately, Mr Nizami wrote that Walsh was expelled from Pakistan in May 2013, on the eve of the general elections.

“I recall quite vividly that Mr Walsh came to see me at my office on May 9, 2013. He informed me that through a letter from the Interior Ministry his visa, valid till January 2104, had been cancelled citing “undesirable activities”, and that he had been asked to leave the country within 72 hours. “On inquiring from the Interior Minister I was plainly told that those who matter in Pakistan had expelled Mr Walsh and the Interior Ministry was just a post office. Nonetheless, despite my best efforts, Walsh was detained at his hotel in Lahore by security officials on Election Day, and was thrown out the next morning. “I was told that Walsh had surreptitiously travelled to Balochistan, which was a no go area even for the foreign journalists based in Islamabad. The NYT bureau chief had filed a story titled “Pakistan’s Secret Dirty War” alleging human rights abuses in Balochistan and the plight of the missing persons. Previously, he had filed a story on Kamra Aeronautical Complex harbouring nuclear missiles. The story turned out to be a canard.”

RANGERS SAY 7 TERRORISTS KILLED IN KARACHI KARACHI: Seven terrorists were killed in raids by security forces in Karachi on Tuesday. Brig Mohammad Khurram told reporters that the two overnight raids came after reports that terrorists from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) planned to attack a security forces headquarters near the airport. Khurram said that in the first raid, three militants were trapped in a building and killed themselves by detonating explosive vests. He added that in the second raid, security forces killed three militants while a fourth blew himself up.

Law enforcement agencies have been actively seeking to rid Karachi — Pakistan’s commercial hub— of terrorism and violence via operations in the city’s troubled areas for well over a year now. Both police and Rangers have raided plenty of areas and have arrested thousands of suspects and criminals to ensure peace in the city, which has been hit by a wave of law and order problems. STAFF REPORT

FIR AGAINST SHOAIB SHAIKH TO INCLUDE SECTIONS RELATED TO MONEY LAUNDERING AND CYBER CRIME

Hayat told reporters outside the Axact headquarters in Karachi that investigators had found hundreds of thousands of blank fake degrees from the Axact office during a search operation carried out in the building.

“We received information about Axact’s printing operations from a source.

The office was opened in the presence of a judicial magistrate and degrees and student ID cards were found in the hundreds of thousands,” Hayat said, adding that there was sufficient evidence to lodge a case against Axact and its CEO Shoaib Shaikh.

Sources told Pakistan Today that the draft of a First Information Report (FIR)

against Shoaib Shaikh has also been prepared and sections related to money laundering and cyber crime would be incorporated in it.

Shaikh has been questioned by the FIA regarding the issuance of fake degrees and various bank accounts for two days in a row. Following his appearance before the federal investigators on Monday, he was again summoned at the FIA head office in Karachi on Tuesday morning. Shaikh has not left the building since then.

According to sources, Shaikh was also unable to provide a list of expenses sought by the FIA investigators. The FIA

Sharif and Nisar bury the hatchet INTERIOR MINISTER ASSURED OF NO INTERFERENCE IN AFFAIRS OF HIS MINISTRY, RELEASE OF FUNDS FOR NACTA ISLAMABAD

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investigative report claiming that the Pakistani IT company had made millions of dollars selling fake degrees online.

Following the NYT story, Pakistan authorities were quick to act as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered the FIA to launch a probe into the fake degree scandal.

had also sought from Axact No-Objection Certificates (NOC) of educational institutes, documents pertaining to affiliation with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and documents related to revenues from fees earned.

The Axact scandal came to light when the New York Times published an

VETERAN PPP LEADERS IN PUNJAB LIKELY TO JOIN PTI ISLAMABAD

file photo

MIAN ABRAR

N a major breakthrough on Tuesday, the long-running differences between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan were bridged when the two met after four months in an hour-long meeting at the Prime Minister’s House before the start of the federal cabinet’s meeting.

The meeting was also attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Minister for State and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch.

Sources said that the meeting, for which Shahbaz Sharif played a critical role, was held in a cordial atmosphere and the prime minister warmly shook hands with the interior minister when he arrived for the meeting.

During the meeting, a detailed discussion took place on country’s law and order, Karachi Operation, Interior Ministry affairs, functioning of National Counterterrorism Authority (NACTA) and implementation of National Action Plan (NAP).

“The prime minister assured interior minister that all his reservations would be addressed for ensuring a swift implementation of NAP. He also directed finance minister to ensure provision of funds to the Interior Ministry. Moreover, it was also agreed that none of the ministers would interfere in the affairs of Interior Ministry in future and Nisar would have full say in this regard,” sources said.

Assuring that funds provision to the Interior Ministry would be made available on priority, the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the way the Interior Ministry was being run and assured his all-out support to the interior minister, sources said.

A source said that Chaudhry Nisar was not feeling well

on Tuesday, but not only he attended the cabinet meeting but he also visited Punjab House for a brief period.

“Chaudhry Nisar looked calm and relaxed after the meeting. While talking to his staff, the minister also made fun of the some tickers running at TV channels regarding the meeting, saying the prime minister was not supposed to make such childish statements and TV channels were busy in kite-flying,” the source added.

Chaudhry Nisar, who is a diehard Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member, had been unhappy with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for non provision of funds to his ministry for activation of NACTA, installation of a joint directorate of intelligence, recruitment of Rapid Response Force, etc.

Due to the non-provision of funds, not only the implementation of NAP was affected but the army leadership was also unhappy with the government for not showing seriousness towards its role.

In a recent statement, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif had also urged the political leadership to take “political decisions” to help take Operation Zarb-e-Azb to the urban areas where the sympathisers and facilitators of terrorists were hiding.

Moreover, Chaudhry Nisar was also unhappy with the finance minister who had intervened to facilitate the Muttahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain three months ago, in violation of the interior minister’s orders.

Sources said Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Pervaiz Rashid, Khwaja Saad Rafiq and Fawad Hassan Fawad played their role in bridging differences and bringing the leaders face-to-face to iron out issues.

The Punjab chief minister held several one-on-one meetings with the prime minister and interior minister to remove misunderstandings and address the interior minister’s grievances.

SATTAR BALOCH

Former Punjab minister of Pakistan People’s Party Ashraf Sohna and former minister of state for Information and Broadcasting, Syed Samsan Ali Bukhari are likely to join the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI), a source close to the former ministers told Pakistan Today on Tuesday.

Ashraf Sohna hails from the Okara district of Punjab and is currently working in the party as district president. Provincial President Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo had replaced the district cabinet of the party about a year ago. Despite continuous complaints by Ashraf Sohna against the abrupt removal of the district organisation

by Manzoor Wattoo, the party’s Cochairman Asif Ali Zardari has taken no action, the source further added.

“Both disgruntled leaders of the party have grievances against Wattoo over his removal of old and loyal workers of the party,” said the source, adding that PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi has met with Ashraf Sohna and invited him and Bukhari to join his party; however, they have neither accepted nor declined the offer. The decision on whether to join PTI or not will be taken once Bukhari returns from Saudi Arabia.

While talking to Pakistan Today, Ashraf Sohna said, “We are trying to move things in the right direction in the party. It is not yet decided whether anyone should quit PPP, but the exclusion of party workers will not be tolerated.”

SO THAT OPPRESSED DON’T STAY QUIET...

PM APPROVES DRAFT WHISTLE BLOWERS BILL TO HELP ENSURE INTRA-INSTITUTIONAL TRANSPARENCY, PROMOTE CULTURE OF INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

In a bid to introduceý intra-institutional transparency, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday accorded formal approval to a summary on Draft Whistle Blower Bill.

A source in the Law Ministry told Pakistan Today that the ministry, on special directive of Law Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid, had finalised the draft bill which was later sent to the prime minister for approval. “Now, the bill will be placed before Federal Cabi-

net. After a nod by the cabinet, the bill would be placed before both houses of the Parliament. After Parliament’s approval, the bill would be signed by the president into law,” the source said.

Under the Whistle Blower Act, it will be ensured that public interest disclosures are properly assessed, investigated and acted upon. It will promote culture of transparency, integrity and accountability. It will also help in preventing abuse and misuse of available protections for personal advantage or vendettas against the employer.

Pakistan is lagging far behind ýthe

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other neighbouring states with regard to the Whistle Blower’s Act. Under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), legislation on whistle blowing is an obligation on Pakistan. The whistle blowing is an early warning system in controlling corruption at the prevention stage by taking timely action. It also encourages honesty and dedication.

In South Asia, India and Bangladesh have already passed such bills. Transparency International (Germany) in its annual report has asked other South Asian countries to enact re-

spective legislation.

Theý proposed Whistle Blowing Bill will help people who are courageous and prepared to lift the lid from corrupt practices in the country. Under the bill, such people would be protected, who raise their voices against corruption, nepotism and malpractices within their own institutions. ýNational Accountability Bureau (NAB) has worked in liaison with Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights so that the Whistle Blower Protection Law may be promulgated in Pakistan at the earliest. For the implementation of Whistle Blower Protection, legislation may be supported by awareness-raising, communication, training and periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of the framework of protection.

04 NEWS

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

BlAck coAts on streets, All others home LAWYERS SHUN COURTS, PROTEST AGAINST DASKA INCIDENT ACROSS PROVINCE, VANDALISE PUNJAB ASSEMBLY ENTRANCE, POLICE VAN

SIALKOT DPO SAYS SHO WARRAICH UNDER ARREST, WILL TAKE HIM ON REMAND TODAY, SUBMIT CHALLAN SOON

LAWYERS, ANALYSTS TERM DASKA-LIKE INCIDENTS RESULT OF POLICY LEVEL CONFUSION, LACK OF TRANSPARENTLY ISSUED DIRECTIVES THROUGH CHAIN OF COMMAND

LAHORE

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HASSAN NAQVI

day after two lawyers were killed

by City Police Station Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Shahzad Warraich in Daska, a large number of baton-wielding lawyers, wearing black ribbons on their shoulders, carried out violent rallies across the Punjab on Tuesday.

The lawyers in Lahore took out a rally from Lahore High Court (LHC) to Punjab Assembly (PA) at The Mall, tried to break through the assembly gate and set its security shade on fire. A heavy contingent of Rangers and police remained deployed outside the PA to disperse lawyers.

Speaking to Pakistan Today, Lahore SSP Operations Baqar Raza said that lawyers tried to enter the assembly last night and the police had been guarding the assembly since then. “The policemen who are guarding the assembly building are unarmed. We don’t want any more incidents such as Daska’s,” SSP Raza said.

The protesters tore Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) banners and surrounded an Elite Force vehicle at the scene and vandalised it, beating the windows in.

They chanted slogans against the police and government, demanding legal action against SHO Warraich who gunned down lawyers, including Daska Bar Association president Rana Khalid Abbas, protesting outside the Daska Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) office against its office bearers for allegedly misbehaving with a lawyer.

The lawyers also burnt tyres and blocked Lahore’s main arteries. A large number of city traffic police wardens remained deputed for diverting traffic to al-

ternative routes. No lawyer appeared in any court on Tuesday and a complete strike was observed after the calls from the Punjab Bar Council and the Lahore Bar Association.

The city government also suspended the Metro Bus Service between MAO College and Gajjumata. Earlier, the lawyers offered funeral in absentia of the deceased lawyers.

A large number of lawyers and high court judges were present on the occasion.

Protests and strikes were also witnessed in Quetta, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and other parts of the country where lawyers burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the government while holding banners. The aggrieved lawyers also broke through the main gate of the Gujranwala district police officer (DPO) office early on Tuesday and also hurled stones at the DPO office in Silakot.

The law enforcers continued to disperse lawyers through the use of teargas.

SHO ARRESTED: In the meanwhile, talking to Pakistan Today, Sialkot DPO Shahzad Akbar said that police have arrested the SHO Warraich who had been nominated in the FIR registered by the lawyers. “We are taking his remand today and the challan would be submitted soon,” DPO Akbar said, adding that lawyers had only nominated the SHO in FIR. Previously, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident and a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the incident, saying all responsible police officials would be taken to task. However the Punjab government on Tuesday decided to withdraw its request to the Lahore High Court for formation of judicial commission.

Sources said that the Punjab government had written a letter to the LHC chief justice to hold a judicial enquiry of the in-

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cident under Punjab Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance 1969 so that action could be taken against the accused officials. However, on Tuesday the government took back its request, citing the formation of a joint investigation team for the purpose.

THEY SPEAK OF JUSTICE: In the meanwhile, lawyers detested uncalled-for use of force by the police.

“Police must arrest the main accused and their accomplices who had killed and tortured the lawyers in Daska and submit the challan within 14 days,” said Advocate Zain Qureshi, who was a part of the rally.

Condemning the “brutal murder of two learned colleagues”, Advocate Ali Ibrahim demanded strong action against the police.

He added that the government needs to “stop hiding behind joint investigation teams (JITs)” while all the concerned parties ought to act within the confines of the law.

Barrister Ahmed Pervaiz told Pakistan Today that the Daska incident showed “emerging trend of police brutality”. “The protocol here appears to be a simple ‘shoot at sight, without just cause’. Our police appear to act at whims, unperturbed by the excesses it commits.” Barrister Pervaiz added, “Lawyers must equally respect law and steer clear of descending into vigilantism.”

While Supreme Court Advocate Taffazul Hussain Rizvi rendered such events “a reflection on the erosion of social fabric”, political economist Mobeen Ahmed Chughtai opined, “Repeated and rampant violent clashes between organs of the State - in this case the police and judicial officials - is a sign of systemic imbalance which is a result of policy level confusion. With no clear directives identifiably or transparently issued by the chain of command, the police become either an instrument of oppression or an instrument of chaos while dealing with the citizens.”

11 death row convicts executed in Punjab, Balochistan jails LAHORE: Eleven convicts on death row were executed early morning Tuesday in various jails across Punjab and Balochistan. Two prisoners were hanged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail for committing murder. Convict Shakil had killed a person in 1998, while convict Sher Ali murdered a person in 2001. In Central Jail Faisalabad, another two convicts were executed.

Iftikhar Ahmed killed three people including two brothers over an argument in 2001.

Convict Asif Zeb killed a person in enmity in 1998. One person, Ishaq, convicted of murder was hanged in Sahiwal, while one prisoner, Mohammad Nawaz was hanged in Gujranwala, also convicted of murder. In Central Jail Multan, Rana Faryad was executed after being convicted of murder of his cousin over a minor argument. Death row prisoner Mohammad Afzal was hanged in District Jail Jhelum.

Convict Amjad Ali was hanged in Sargodha, being found guilty of rape and murder of his young niece, as well as killing two young witnesses of the incident.

Prisoner Anwar Ahmed was executed in District Jail Toba Tek Singh. He had killed six family members including his father and brother over a property matter. In Central Jail Mach, convict Ibrahim was hanged after being convicted of murdering a person in 2003. STAFF REPORT

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

Heatwave in india kills 800 as capital’s roads melt HYDERABAD

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AGENCIES

T least 800 people have died in a major heatwave that has swept across India, melting roads in New Delhi as temperatures neared 50 degrees Celsius.

Hospitals were on alert to treat victims of heatstroke and authorities advised people to stay indoors, with no end in sight to the searing conditions. India’s Meteorological Department said it had issued heat warnings to several states where temperatures were forecast to top 45 degrees Celsius over the next few days.

“As of now, we don’t predict any respite from the extreme heatwave for the next few days,” said spokesman BP Yadav.

Hundreds of people — mainly from the poorest sections of society — die at the height of summer every year across the country, while tens of thousands suffer power cuts from an overburdened electricity

grid. Streets were deserted in Hyderabad, capital of the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India where 551 people have died in the last week.

“The state government has taken up education programmes through television and other media to tell people not to venture into the outside without a cap, to drink water and other measures,” said P Tulsi Rani, special commissioner

FIRE AT CHINA NURSING HOME KILLS 38 BEIJING AGENCIES

for disaster management in the state. “We have also requested NGOs and government organisations to open up drinking water camps so that water will be readily available for all the people in the towns.” Hyderabad street vendor P Gangamma said the heat was making her head pound, but she had no choice but to stay outside.

“For the past three days hot wind has been coming in,” said the

EGYPT PROTESTS PAKISTAN’S CRITICISM OF MORSI DEATH SENTENCE

Thirty-eight people were killed in a fire at a home for senior citizens in China’s central Henan province, state media said, the latest disaster in a country with a poor record on work safety. The fire broke out late on Monday at the “privately-owned Kangleyuan rest home in Lushan county”, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday, citing local authorities. The cause of the fire, which injured another six people, was unclear, Xinhua said.

Rescue efforts were still underway. China has a history of similar disasters. Workers are often poorly trained or ill-equipped to protect themselves from accidents.

AUSTRIA TRIES 14-YEAR-OLD ‘TERROR’ SUSPECT SANKT-POELTEN AGENCIES

A 14-year-old Austrian schoolboy with alleged ties to extremists and accused of intending to bomb a Vienna train station went on trial Tuesday facing up to five years in prison. The defendant, named only as Mertkan G., was arrested in October 2014 and allegedly had contact with supporters of the Islamic State (IS) group and al Qaeda, the court in his hometown Sankt-Poelten said. “In addition he is suspected of obtaining instructions on how to make an explosive device from an al Qaeda website… in order to carry out an attack in Vienna,” the court 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of the Austrian capital said. According to the charge sheet, the teenager, who emigrated from Turkey in 2007, wanted to carry out the attack before travelling to join “holy war” in Syria and was in contact with IS recruiters in Vienna. Police had said at the time of the arrest that the boy made “concrete enquiries about buying ingredients” for a bomb and “planned to explode the devices in public places, such as the Vienna Westbahnhof,” a major train station. His lawyer Rudolf Mayer told AFP that his client — who turns 15 next week — had only been “playing with the idea” of making a bomb. He has been in custody since January after breaking the terms of his parole. Unconfirmed press reports said that IS jihadists had offered to pay him 25,000 euros ($27,250) if he managed to carry out the attack.

65-year-old, who sells cigarettes on a busy intersection. “I am a diabetes patient, but I have no husband and no sons, so I have to stay here and keep shop.”

Large parts of India, including New Delhi, have endured days of sweltering heat, prompting fears of power cuts as energy-guzzling air conditioners work overtime.

The Hindustan Times daily said the maximum temperature in the capital hit a two-year high of 45.5 degrees Celsius on Monday — five degrees higher than the seasonal average. The paper carried a front-page photo of a main road in the city melting in the heat, with the white pedestrian crossing stripes curling and spreading into the black asphalt.

“It’s baking hot out here — our outing has turned into a nightmare,” said Meena Sheshadri, a 37-yearold tourist from the western city of Pune who was visiting Delhi’s India Gate monument with her children.

“My throat is parched, even though I’ve been constantly sipping water.”

CAIRO AGENCIES

Egypt summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to protest Islamabad’s criticism of the death sentence handed down to ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Egypt denounces any “interference in its internal affairs which casts a shadow on relations between the two countries,” the ministry said in a statement a day after summoning Mohamed Eijaz.

Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, and more than 100 other defendants were sentenced to death by a court on May 16 for their role in a mass prison break during the 2011 uprising.

The sentence was criticised by human rights groups, the United States and the European Union, as well as Pakistan.

“The dispensation of justice must be based on the principles of equity and fairness,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued on May 19.

“This is all the more important when political prisoners especially a former elected president, who was ousted from office, is brought before the court of law.” Morsi was ousted by then-army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in July 2013 after massive street protests against his one-year rule.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had also criticised an Egypt court’s decision to sentence to death deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, saying it “bodes ill” for the Egyptian people and democracy in Egypt.

NEWS

05

ISRAEL BANS AZAAN AT IBRAHIMI MOSQUE: REPORT

JERUSALEM: The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) had banned the azaan on loudspeakers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Israel’s Hebron city from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening, claiming that it bothered Jewish settlers.

Eye witnesses confirmed that Israeli occupation prohibited the calling of the Azaan at the Ibrahimi Mosque between Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening citing the advent of Jewish holidays as the reason behind the ban. Human rights activists said the ban was as an assault on the Islam and on freedom of worship. They further added that Israeli occupation had crossed all red lines in its infringement of international decrees and human rights. The Ibrahimi Mosque, believed to be the burial place of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), is located in central Hebron, is a frequent site of tensions due to the presence of 500 Israeli settlers in the Old City. AGENCIES

BELARUS PRESIDENT DELAYS VISIT TILL 28TH

ISLAMABAD: President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who was scheduled to arrive today in Islamabad on a two-day official visit to Pakistan, delayed his visit until May 28 due to the death of his mother on Tuesday. The visit will be the first ever by a Belarusian president to Pakistan. A Foreign Office official said that President Alexander Lukashenko delayed his visit till May 28 due to the death of his mother. President Lukashenko will lead a high-powered delegation during his visit. The Belarus president will hold talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who will also host a lunch in honour of the visiting dignitary. President Mamnoon Hussain, who had invited the Belarusian president, will also host a banquet in honour of the distinguished guest. A number of important agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit. The agreements and MoUs with focus on agriculture machinery, tractor plant, milk and dairy industry are expected to be signed during the visit. STAFF REPORT

MODI SAYS WORLD IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT INDIA NEW DELHI AGENCIES

As Indian premier Narendra Modi’s first year in office concluded, he took to Twitter to share an open letter he penned about his government, saying that the world is optimistic about India and exploring what the country has to offer. “[A lot] changed in one year,” Modi tweeted. He added that inflation in India is down while power generation increased. He also mentioned that the less fortunate are receiving bank accounts.

Modi said that his year as premier has strengthened the federal structure, portrayed complete transparency and had quick reforms.

As Modi wraps up his first year on the job, one thing is clear: He understands the power of a good photo.

A selfie with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang; enveloping President Barack Obama in a tight bear hug minutes after he landed in New Delhi; sweeping the streets of the Indian capital with a broom to highlight his national cleanli-

ness campaign. There’s a talked-about photograph documenting just about every major moment of his first year as prime minister.

Modi’s sartorial choices, meanwhile, are as well documented as his forays into international diplomacy. The flowing, colorful traditional turban he

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wore to make his first speech to mark India’s Independence Day got as much attention as the fact that he decided to make the speech without the bulletproof enclosure that usually surrounds Indian prime ministers.

The pinstripes on the dark suit he wore as he sipped tea with Obama in

New Delhi turned out to be his own name printed in tiny letters. The suit was estimated to have cost more than 1 million rupees ($16,000), but Modi sidestepped the negative publicity by auctioning the suit for a whopping $700,000 to raise money to clean the highly polluted Ganges river.

Modi understood the power of the media and a well-chosen image much before he became prime minister. As chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, he managed the impossible — being in many places at the same time.

Using hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, he dazzled voters by projecting a shockingly lifelike, threedimensional holographic image of himself onto screens at election rallies in dozens of towns and villages.

Modi is also one of India’s most social media-savvy politicians, and is active on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram. He also posts photographs on Flickr and Pinterest. Before his visit to China this month he even joined Weibo, the Chinese microblogging site.

06 KARACHI

WEATHER UPDATES WEDNESDAY

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Shc may iNdict ig, other Police officerS oN 28th KARACHI

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HE Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday refused to entertain an unconditional apology submitted before it by Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP) Ghulam Haider Jamali for his failure to protect the high court when masked policeman in civvies beat the guards of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and journal-

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Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

(ATTACK ON SINDH HIGH COURT)

STAFF REPORT

SATURDAY

ists who were covering the violent episode at the court premises on Saturday.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing a case against IGP Jamali, Additional Inspector General Sindh (AIG) Ghulam Qadir Thebo and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) West Feroze Shah.

Justice Shah came down heavily on IGP Jamali and held him responsible for what he referred to as an “attack on the

cers could be seen in the CCTV footage.

Responding to IGP Jamali’s statement that action was being taken against those responsible for the violence, Justice Shah remarked: “We will first take action against you. We will not hesitate in dismissing anyone from their rank.

You will then have to proceed to the Supreme Court to get yourself reinstated.” The hearing was subsequently adjourned till May 28.

high court”. He said action would be taken against the IGP for his negligence.

He said the high court had to summon the Rangers to escort Mirza and his wife to their residence because the provincial and city police chiefs could not be reached.

Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed representing the media persons, who were brutally beaten up by the policemen, told the court upon inquiry that the ADIG, DIG West, SSP South and senior offi-

Naegleria claimS aNother life, toll riSeS to five KARACHI STAFF REPORT

A 25-year-old person suffering from Naegleria died on Tuesday taking the death toll to at least five. Sufyan was under treatment in Civil Hospital after doctors diagnosed him with brain-eating amoeba. Reportedly, in most of the areas of the city, the water lacks the required amount of chlorine. The death toll due to the disease has reached to at least five in the ongoing year. The six-member committee formed for the purpose continues to collect water samples from different areas. According to the report issued by the team, as many as 38 more samples have been collected from the city.

At least 21 samples have zero percent chlorine while mere 17 samples have sufficient amount. The committee has collected a total of 84 samples from different areas of the metropolitan.

According to the researchers, Naegleria has a fatality rate of more than 98 per cent.

It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person. The amoeba travels from the nasal membranes to the brain. Symptoms are initially very mild, including a headache, stiff neck, fever and stomach pain. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection.

The disease first surfaced in Karachi, a city of 20 million people, in 2006.

vc exteNdS 70year-old maN’S Service ‘illegally’ LARKANA PPi

KARACHI: Litigants sit perturbed in the corridors of the city courts as lawyers went on strike on Tuesday against the killing of two lawyers in Punjab’s Daska city on Monday. PPi

ATC ORDERS MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF NINE ZERO DETAINEES KARACHI: An Anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday ordered the authorities to have the medical examination of apprehended suspects Ubaid K2 and Tanvir-ul-Haq arrested from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM’s) headquarter Nine Zero. According to details, the hearing of the case was held in Karachi during which the lawyer demanded complete medical checkup of the arrested criminals. Subsequently, the court accepted the counsel’s plea and directed the jail officials to conduct their medical examination in the jail and submit the report as early as possible. STAFF REPORT

(TORTURE ON JOURNALISTS)

SSP South removed from PoSt KARACHI: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South Chaudhry Asad on Tuesday has been removed from the post following the brutal torture of journalists outside the Sindh High Court (SHC). The Sindh Police has directed SSP South to report to the Central Police Office after removing him from the post as the police dressed in civil tortured the journalists and circled the SHC on May 23. SSP West Ghulam Asfar has been given the charge of South for the time being.

While SSP Pir Muhammad Shah has assumed charge as SSP Central in addition to his post. OnlinE

DENGUE PATIENT DIES IN CITY KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Another dengue patient died on Tuesday in Karachi taking the death toll to two. According to details, the deceased, 10 years old, was a resident of Orangi Town and was admitted to a hospital on May 22 following a high grade fever. The doctors stated that the minor died while undergoing medical treatment at the hospital. Meanwhile, the chief of dengue pre vaccination and control program Dr Shakeel verified the death of the child and revealed that as many as 43 dengue patients were still under treatment in Karachi.

Earlier, this year’s first death from dengue occurred at Allied Hospital in

Faisalabad where a 29-year-old victim named Muhammad Anees succumbed to the deadly virus. The patient was a

resident of Ghulam Muhammadabad area and was admitted to a hospital few days ago.

A 70-year-old man has been given six-month extension in his contract job by the vice chancellor of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana, through a notification issued by the additional registrar despite objection by the registrar. Vice Chancellor Prof Ghulam Asghar Channa sent prepared notification to Registrar Prof Sikandar Ali Mughal for signing to extend for six months the contract period of Project Director (PD) Noorullah Malik who is said to be enjoying his support. His contract period ended on May 6. The registrar, sources further said, raised objections including the one that the notification was not accompanied by the application of the applicant. The VC then sent it to the additional registrar Dr Hassan Shaikh, who signed and issued it. The sources said the project director was about 70 years old and a retired man and his first six-month contract period was also illegal as the required codal formalities were not fulfilled at that time even for which the registrar had written a letter to the secretary to the Sindh chief minister for universities informing him about the situation. No response has so far been received by him. Sources further claimed that the post of project director should have been filled by floating advertisements in the newspapers but the VC kept the same add papers with him when these were sent to him by the human resources department for approval and instead directed for extending contract period of an aged retired person which shows worst kind of mismanagement in the SMBBMU. This had created unrest among the employees and differences between the Registrar and HR Director but the Sindh government had not taken any notice of open violation of apex court orders in the university, they added.

Three killed, three injured in city violence KARACHI STAFF REPORT

As many as three persons were killed and three others injured in different violence incidents in the metropolis on Tuesday. Two men, Tausif, 30, son of Abdul Ghaffar, and an unidentified man were killed by unknown armed men in Mominabad in Orangi Town area. The bodies were shifted to Abbasi

Shaheed Hospital (ASH) for autopsies.

Tausif was an employee of a private hospital. The body of a tortured girl, aged about 20, was recovered from Super Highway near Zikria Goth. The body was shifted to ASH for a postmortem. In another incident, an unknown man was shot at and injured near National Stadium. He was rushed to Agha Khan Hospital for treatment. A youth, Muhammad Zeeshan, 18, son of

CMYK

Maqsood, was injured when unknown gunmen fired shots on him. He was brought to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) for treatment. A woman, Ana Naz, 30, wife of Patel, was shot at and injured by robbers on MA Jinnah Road near Rimpa Plaza when she offered resistance to them during robbery. She was shifted to CHK for treatment.

TWO KILLED IN SEPARATE MISHAPS: A man and a girl were

killed in separate mishaps in the metropolis on Tuesday. A 20-year-old girl died when a train hit her in Landhi. The body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) for an autopsy. A man, aged about 57, was killed when a speeding vehicle hit him near Attock Petroleum in Korangi area. The body was shifted to JPMC for medicolegal formalities.

KARACHI 07

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

HEALTH EMPLOYEES CALL FOR STRIKE ON 28TH KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Joint Action Committee of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and National Institute of Health Child (NICH) employees on Tuesday decided to completely boycott the OPDs duties of both institutions on May 28 against non-payment of health professional allowance to health employees.

An executive member of the Joint Action Committee JPMC & NICH Karachi Zaryab Hayat Tiwana said employees of both the institutions had decided to completely boycott OPDs duties on 28th against nonpayment of health allowance. He said all departments, excluding emergency department, would remain close on the protest day. He said all other provinces were giving health allowances to employees of public healthcares devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment but in Sindh province, the employees of JPMC and NICH had been deprived of their right since last five years. He said high-ups of provincial health department Sindh had assured provision of health professional allowance to employees on past several occasions but their promises could not be fulfilled yet. He said an estimated 3,000 employees had not been paid health professional allowances since last several years. He informed that the Joint Action Committee had sent a letter to the chief minister, health minister, chief secretary and other high-up for solving the issue on priority basis but no positive response could be received yet. He said health employees did not want to cause inconvenience to visiting patients and urged them to stop visiting these institutions on Thursday.

TEACHERS STAGE RALLY FOR SALARIES NAUDERO STAFF REPORT

Several primary teachers, who were appointed seven months ago through NTS test, took out a rally from Government Boys Primary School-2 to the press club on Tuesday against non-payment of their seven months salaries.

Khuda Bux Mirani of Primary Teachers Association, Ratodero, led the protest which was joined by Sarfraz Phulpoto, Abu Bakar Junejo, Samiullah Mangnejo, Asadullah Kumbhar, Khalid Kolachi, Akash Kumar, Sadam Channo and other lady teachers. They were chanting slogans for their right and in favour of their demands. They said the post of Taluka Education Officer was lying vacant since long which should be filled with a senior officer and drawing and disbursing powers may be delegated to other TEO so that they may be able to get their salaries.

KARACHI: Two children weep during a demonstration for the release of a man allegedly picked up by Rangers during a search operation in Purana Golimar area. OnlinE

daSka iNcideNt: hrcP queStioNS Police’S limitS KARACHI

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STAFF REPORT

HE Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has slammed the killing of two lawyers in Daska in targeted police firing, and called for a thorough look at the police modus operandi to ensure that the force is used to protect citizens rather than killing them.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the commission said: “HRCP is alarmed at the killing of two lawyers in Daska at the hands of police on Monday. According to media reports, a group of lawyers protesting outside the Daska tehsil mu-

nicipal administration (TMA) attacked some TMA staff, forcing the latter to call police for protection. Whatever the justification for police intervention, the use of lethal force did appear to be unwarranted and excessive.”

The HRCP said it was for the inquiry instituted by the government to determine whether the force used by the police was necessary and proportionate.

However, this was not the first time that the coercive power of the state placed at the disposal of police in the province had been used to kill citizens. Triggerhappy had unfortunately become a regular pre-fix to the mention of the police by the media, it added. It said the Daska killings called for a detailed look at why

Daska killings: Legal fraternity observes strike in courts KARACHI STAFF REPORT

On the appeal of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the legal fraternity of Karachi on Tuesday observed a complete strike of courts across the metropolis against killing of two lawyers in Daska. The lawyers did

not appear before the Sindh High Court (SHC), Anti-Terrorism Court, City Court, Malir Court and other lower courts to show solidarity with the victims of Daska tragedy.

However, the key cases were heard by the court. At least two lawyers, including local Bar president Rana Abbas, and Irfan Chohan, were killed

and others were injured in clash with police. Earlier on Tuesday, the funeral prayers of two lawyers were offered which were attended by a large number of their associates and family members. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had already ordered to constitute a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the incident.

RETO FOUNDATION’S SMART STUDY PROGRAMME COMMENCES FROM JUNE KARACHI: RETO Foundation is going to commence its 3rd smart study program from June 18, 2015. The smart study program aims to equip the students of underprivileged areas with equal opportunities to attend educational institutions of their choice. Co-Founders Shahzad Akbar and Nabeel Muhammad, highlighting the vision behind the RETO’s smart study program, emphasized the need to enable students to broaden their horizon of what they can do with their lives and how they can become a lasting change in society. Furthermore, Co-Founder &Director Curriculum, Syed Jaffar Mujtaba, also talked about the success of smart study program in the past, when RETO have been able to send more than 15 students on different scholarships across Pakistan. It will be a two-month free-of-cost academic program where high-potential students from rural areas will be trained by accomplished young professionals from various fields/universities. In particular, RETO’s Shades Student Council Body will visit 18 higher secondary schools, 3 colleges and 8 academies of Tando Jam, along with other academic institutions of adjacent Union Councils including Moosa Khatyan, Tando Qaiser and Sawan Khan Gopang. PRESS RElEASE

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such killings occur and how they could be stopped. “It is important that these are more than mere reflections within the police department. Not only must a cross section of society be consulted in this respect, the deliberations should include and address the concerns of the people and the outcome of the exercise should be shared with the public.”

“Arrest of the police officer accused in the killings and registration of cases against the co-accused should lead to a prompt and transparent probe to determine responsibility for the killings and to punish the perpetrators,” the HRCP demanded. “Another dismal aspect of Monday’s tragic events was the violent protests by

lawyers in many cities. At one level, the citizens are entitled to ask why the government did not act more effectively to defuse the situation after the killing,” it questioned. “HRCP also called upon the lawyers’ community, which the world over is considered among the most conscious and respectful of the rule of law and due process, to be vigilant that the protests they lodge against the unfortunate killings in Daska or for any other cause remain peaceful and do not lead to damage to public or private property. Resort to violence would not only erode sympathy for them but also set the wrong example in a society already reeling under pervasive violence.”

08 COMMENT

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

When you talk about fake

A decline in respect for law

There is no limit to it, it seems

By all

own praises for not riding on a procrastination horse in launching an inquiry into the scam of fake degrees. he also boasts over highspeed (Red Bull-induced) performance of FIA which in real terms is nothing more than a broken-down vehicle parked since long at the doors of successive rulers.

Shoaib Shaikh’s brain child (Axact) allegedly sold fake degrees and diplomas across the globe and bagged billions of rupees. All this occurred neither in a day nor in a week, month or year. But no arm (big or small) of law enforcers could catch them. Why? Adriana Lima once said: “From my hair to my toes to my nails.

Everything’s fake. Everything!

Even my heart is fake.” I don’t dare saying ‘everything’ but a lot of fake exists and flourishes in this country from housing societies to medicines and doctors, from religious leaders to police encounters, from investigative journalism to political parties’ manifestos, from educational institutions to FIRs and law-suits.

Even when a help-line is set up for rescue related public complaints, it gets chocked with fake (hoax) calls.

The authorities who wasted no moment in nabbing the fake business must act with same fervour against fake housing societies robbing simpletons in every passing second. I bet you will find the tricksters who can beat Victor Lustig — the man who had succeeded in selling the Eiffel Tower a hundred-year ago - and steal George Parker’s fame of selling the Statue of Liberty, Grant’s Tomb, Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Art Museum and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Where are the authorities in case of established non-recognised educational institutions working in Pakistan? Can anyone check fake homoeo/Unani/Poly-technical colleges operating in the country without

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hE way governments in Punjab and Sindh have interfered in appointments, placements and promotions of the police force has badly affected its performance, undermined its discipline and even brutalised it. In both the provinces governments have relied on blue-eyed boys in the force to suppress political opponents and carry out illegal orders. Some 14 PAT activists died in the Model Town police firing last year. Last week SSU personnel tried to arrest Zulfiqar Mirza, presently on the wrong side of the provincial government, from the ShC gate despite assurance by the government law officer that he would not be arrested.

They brutally beat up Mirza’s guards, smashed their vehicles, and maltreated media reporters. Senior police officers failed to attend to ShC Registrar’s phone calls during the operation.

The killing of two lawyers in police firing in Daska is yet another example of the malaise and needs to be strongly condemned. The lawyers community was within its right to demand an enquiry into the killings and punishment for those involved. The resort to lawlessness by the protesters was uncalled for. There were reports of arson and of attacks on police officers.

Lawyers attempted to forcibly enter the Punjab Assembly hall, set on fire a shed outside the building and overturned and damaged an Elite Force van outside LhC. In the wake of the success of 2007-09 lawyers’ non-violent movement, the community has developed a sense of power. This has over the last few years expressed itself several times in negative ways. It is time the lawyers’ organisations try to inculcate respect for law in the community whose strongest weapon should be argument rather than a club, a brick or a matchbox.

While the Sindh police acted wrongly by ignoring the ShC’s orders, Zulfiqar Mirza too needs to realise that it does not suit a politician to act like a gang leader, travelling with an entourage of armed toughs, forcing markets to close under threat and raiding police stations.

Finally, the cabinet meets

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Nisar’s back too

F all it took was Shahbaz Sharif talking to Ch Nisar about a dozen times to get the interior minister to bury the hatchet with the prime minister, then perhaps such an arrangement could have been thought of sooner. At least cabinet would not have been paralysed. or perhaps a three month hiatus was simply too long, and the budget strategy paper could not be put on hold any longer, and the estranged N-leaguers made up for appearances sake, if nothing else.

But if the latter is true, then the alleged and reported grudge between Ch Nisar and some of the PML-N high command remains as is. So a lot will become clear in the coming days and weeks. If there is movement on NACTA and NAP, for example, then a measured thaw, at least, has definitely been engineered. And credit must go to the Punjab chief minister. This is the second time he’s helped Nawaz and Nisar work out their differences.

The first time was at the height of the dharna pressure.

Whether or not the ruling party can resume normal work flow and communication and coordination between ministries, of course, remains to be seen. however, now that cabinet has met again the budget is the main concern for the moment. It wouldn’t have put the finance ministry in very good light that almost all of last year’s targets, including GDP growth, have been missed. And though that is normal practice, there should have been some disappointment in the cabinet meeting. It would also have made their bold claims about next year that much more suspect. Nawaz chose to concentrate more on good things, advising the finance ministry to concentrate more on the common man, distribute fruits of economic gains more equitably among the masses, etc. None of that, though, is real economics. They did not discuss reasons for repeatedly missing targets. And neither the tax net nor exports increase simply because the PM wanted to at a cabinet meeting. These things need a well thought out and workable strategy that is implemented over the near to medium term. So far, Nawaz and Nisar might be friends again, but the government, especially the finance ministry, definitely needs to hit the reset button.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor Lahore – Ph: 042-36375963, 042-36375965

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irFan Bukhari

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oNEY is honey, my little sunny; a rich man’s joke is always funny. or so an old maxim goes. But in case of apparent miscarriage of BoL TV following startling revelations of global fraud revolving around BoL’s mother organisation (Axact), Shoaib Shaikh’s joke (‘Pakistan’s imminent biggest media enterprise’) has turned into a tragedy further putting a big question mark on state of journalism in the country. The mega-scam of fake degrees, meanwhile, mocks government institutions’ state of being under heavy sedation as well.

While hundreds of working journalists are in a state of future shock, many others feel proud over interior minister’s remarks about unlimited power of media. The corrupt and rusty government apparatus which miserably failed to unearth the scam till NYT reporter broke the scandal with bang also wants sweet credit candies to suck. our self-styled man of principles, yes Chaudhry Nisar, sings his

Axact-ly Beasts, too, have rights!

Faisal Zaman

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ho says there is no rule of law in Pakistan? Look at the way state authorities and state laws have jumped into action in the matter of Axact, a company reportedly involved in a multi-million-dollar mega scam of astonishing and, for some, mouth-watering proportions.

The swift action by law enforcement agencies has been applauded amid raised eye brows and whispering suspicions. In Pakistan, where rule of law happens to be perched at the lowest rung of state priorities, such action instead of answering questions, raises more to be answered.

Internationally, Pakistan has been accused of all the crimes under the sky. From terrorism, money laundering to petty frauds, Pakistan has remained in the global spotlight. our green passport is wrapped in shades of doubt. But very few such accusations have been graced with state response of this scale. Most allegations have been dubbed conspiracies and others just brushed under the carpet.

So in this backdrop it is quite surprising to see how state authorities have acted in the matter of Axact. FIA, SECP, interior ministry, FBR,

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 Fax: 021-35381208

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meeting even 10 per cent laid-down criteria of relevant councils and selling registered but fake diplomas?

These are the diploma mills in reality.

Who will arrest the manufacturers and sellers of counterfeit medicines?

Will interior minister make the fake scanners (the ones imported in haste from China under Rehman Malik) report pubic and when? how many police officials have been banged up over fake police encounters and registering false FIRs? When will FIA investigate the ever-emerging scams of fake (ghost) schools and employees? Is there any action or piece of legislation under consideration to nab fake pirs, aamils etc.? Why government machinery fails time and again to curb the fake overseas employment agents rackets? It may be shocking news for many that there are as many as 35,000 newspapers and magazines registered with Press Information Department (PID) and hundreds of such fake (dummy) publications are granted official advertisement worth billions of rupees every year. Any plan of action Mr Nisar and Mr Rashid? What about fake ID cards and passports? Will the certificates (SSC, hSC) going to be awarded to students in Sindh after massive and blatant exams cheating not be the fake ones?

Anyone and everyone in this country is encouraged to indulge in the fake-businesses when politicians make fake promises and claims like ‘bringing stolen wealth back from Switzerland’, ‘Ending load-shedding in three months’ etc. and employ fake attendance tactics on rolls of national and provincial assemblies. A number of elected parliamentarians feel no shame in getting fake medical bills approved from the parliament. They tell us about the achievement of forensic experts of FIA in Axact scheme but feel annoyed on questions about fake-political-alliance (Asghar Khan case). A half truth is a full lie.

have all come out in unison to grab the owner of Axact, who perhaps is now officially our very own oBL of cyber-crime, the most wanted man for the time being. he may be protected officially but he cannot escape, is our motto.

That may be true. The owner of Axact may have broken the law on his way to satisfy his pecuniary appetite, but he is not alone in this crime. his tax returns strongly suggest that all is not above board, but at least he can boast to have filed one. The allegation of running a “diploma mill” where he offered and gave online fictitious college degrees to numerous unsuspecting aspirants may also hold water, as if there was no such activity going on here. Remember our own ghost schools. We have “mills” doling out fictitious votes, certificates, licenses, CNICs, passports and degrees. I recall, with considerable unease, how a respected politician once remarked that a degree is a degree whether original or fictitious!

The interior ministry, which ordered action against Axact, relied exclusively on the investigative report published in the NYT. has the ministry not set a dangerous precedent by acting blindly on an investigative report of a foreign newspaper?

Was this report so powerful that it jolted our LEAs into action and forced them to abandon their coffins and for once do what they are supposed to do, i.e., enforce law? or is the action meant to give a clean chit? or perhaps Pakistan wanted to act first and screen the powerful hands behind the alleged criminal activity by creating a scapegoat worthy of being presented as the master mind, before the state department of America stepped in?

Pakistan has many stories to tell. We have our own mafias and godfathers with state sponsored licenses to loot and kill. our cartels and untouchables running them also make for interesting news every now and then. our political mess is just that — a mess. The judiciary, our sleeping beauty, is basking in self-induced slumber. The media has turned into a monster, devouring in the name of competition and ratings, the leftover scraps of decency, self-respect, morality, positivity this nation once had. And above all we have Axact, a cunning vicious beast that must be captured and killed.

Nothing wrong with that, provided due process of law is followed. Yes, beasts too have rights! In fact in Pakistan only beasts have rights, the wrongs are left for the lesser mortals that constitute, say, about 99 percent of this land.

So when our state machinery teams up with

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Apart from agreed-upon fake businesses, every other thing is labelled as a ‘fake’. Khan says voters and elections were a fake therefore resultant parliament is a fake. Government says Khan’s rigging allegations and slogans of ‘change’ and ‘justice’ are a fake. Qadri claims JIT report on Model Town incident is a fake while the PML-N leaders think Sheikh-ul-Islam’s pious-movement is a fake. The liberals are convinced that jihad in Afghanistan and Kashmir was a fake while the jihadis take liberals’ loyalty to the country as a fake.

The ordeal continues. The Axact scam also exposed ethics and standards of national journalism revealing real competence of country’s leading self-proclaimed investigative journalists who were belittled within no time by Declan Walsh’s scoop. Amazingly they either smelt no rat behind very unusual business model of BoL (no nose for news) which speaks volumes of their capacity and competence or just neglected the rotten fish in the broth as the taste was mouth-watering. They say when the coin is too close to eyes it can hide the stars. our media, in particular the electronic one, is continuously beating the drums and will never cease till the patient on the death bed reaches the grave. Shoaib Shaikh made illegal bucks, the other seths claim full throat, but don’t tell the people about their own fortunes and how was it accumulated. Shaikh challenged their business empires and was slaughtered midway. Saadi says the biggest enemies of a peacock are his own feathers. The master Axactian was in fact trapped by his own delusions of grandeur. The fate of application moved forward to FIA and NAB bosses by a journalist to check (unfathomable) resources of owners of other media houses is well known to all and sundry. I end with a dialogue from The Wild Bunch, “When you side with a man, you stay with him.

And if you can’t do that, you’re like some animal, you’re finished.”

Irfan Bukhari is Managing Editor, Pique. He tweets at: @irfanbokharee

this unrelenting determination, totally focused on a single agenda, to nab the perpetrators of this fraud, we are compelled to inquire rather politely if everything was alright. our State machinery does not work this way. In fact it does not work in any way. This is quite unusual. out-of-theblue kind of a thing. We are not accustomed to such swift enforcement of the law. We know law that drags its feet and not law that has hare legs.

Spare us this speed lest we start demanding it every time. The massacres of APS Peshawar, Model Town, LDA Lahore, Baldia Karachi, hazara Balochistan, are treated in accordance with the law that we know. Exactly what is confronting Axact, in the name of law, will require more time and patience for us to understand.

Some term this stern action a pre-emptory strike to stop the inauguration of an upcoming TV Channel, BoL. Cut throat competition is the concealed justification. A new entrant attempting to make its presence felt in our electronic media apparently has been denied entry by the big wigs.

Anchors, analysts, commentators, opinion-makers from different media groups were lured to join BoL at exorbitant packages only fools would reject. one media group is reported to have sold his channel to BoL. This new media group has stepped on so many influential feet that there is hardly any sympathetic voice in its favour. BoL must be silenced, is the unified pledge.

So what could be more potent than a state gag? Discredit BoL and its owners, is the popular suggestion. Nip it in the bud, is another advice. Cut their throats, literally, in the name of competition, opined an angry media manager earning far less than his contemporaries in BoL! For many like me, this is yet another story with headlines but without results. Yes we will have the usual hue and cry. There will be confrontation, fights and bouts. Battle lines will be drawn. Fists and slogans will be raised. Sermons will be delivered. The self-righteous will appear on the Idiot Box to upset our national discourse. Lawyers will have a field day. Reconciliatory forces too may earn a dime or two. But once the pockets become full, there will be a hushed silence. Forgive and forget is our national mantra. We will continue to follow that. Meanwhile, enjoy the crazy circus.

And of course get your degrees checked.

Faisal Zaman is an advocate and can be reached at: faisal.zaman@corporatilaw.com.

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

WORLD VIEW 09

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

HOW ‘MODIPLOMACY’WILL HELP INDIA WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE NEIGHBOURS times of inDia

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Shyam Saran

oR a leader unschooled in the arcane world of high diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered a most impressive performance on the international stage in the first year of the NDA government. The basic tenets of India’s foreign policy have remained intact, but their pursuit has been marked by rare energy and application. The key messages to our foreign partners have been delivered effectively and often eloquently.

This prime minister believes in the power of personal diplomacy and cultivating personal rapport with his foreign counterparts. He has used spectacle and media exposure as props to advance his own persona but also to elevate his country’s profile. India has become more exciting because it is headed by a leader seen as being cast in a different mould from his predecessors. He is not humble, is plain-speaking and outcome-oriented. The image of India today is very much coloured by the imprint of its leader.

Modi endorsed the high priority attached by previous governments to the management of India’s subcontinental neighbours but followed through with imaginative moves that carried credibility. The invitation to all South Asian heads of states/governments to his swearing-in ceremony, the early visits to Bhutan and Nepal and later to Sri Lanka, the commitments made to cross-border and other projects and the renewed focus on Saarc — all these moves, taken together, have added a new energy and weight to India’s neighbourhood policy. The recent passage of the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement

by Parliament will add significant momentum to the already improving bilateral relationship with a key neighbouring country. It is only with respect to Pakistan that one could fault the Modi government. After the promising start with Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Delhi for the swearing-in ceremony, bilateral relations have once again slipped into the familiar and unproductive pattern of dialoguedisruption-dialogue. The foreign

secretary talks were called off when Pakistan insisted on its high commissioner ‘consulting’ the Hurriyat in advance. If this was a red line being laid down, then it certainly became blurred with the subsequent visit of the new foreign secretary to Islamabad for talks on energisingSaarc.

Pakistan today is in a more confident mood with a $46-billion commitment by China to transform it into a key component of its ambitious one Belt, one Road initiative, and the US conceding to it the lead role in the Afghan peace process. With President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul increasingly desperate to obtain Pakistani support for peace talks with the Taliban, Islamabad feels it is fully back into the game. one should expect more trouble in Kashmir and an uptick in cross-border terrorism. one does not see any counterstrategy in place. China remains the major foreign policy challenge. Modi has accepted that, like his predecessors, he must engage with China even while confronting the threat it poses to India’s security as a consequence of the unsettled boundary issue, the Sino-Pakistan alliance and the increasing maritime competition in the extended Indo-Pacific region. The recent high-profile visit to China is part of the engagement dimension. But this is also the first recent instance where the visit to China has been combined with visits to China’s periphery, in this case, to South Korea and Mongolia.

This is part of the parallel effort to constrain China through a network of countervailing relationships.

India has pursued closer political and security relations with the US, Japan, Australia and several South-east Asian countries as a countervailing coalition restraining China’s predilection towards unilateral assertion of territorial claims and assertive conduct. It is important that India avoids tactical maneuvers to assuage Chinese anxieties. The news that India may not invite Japan to the annual Malabar naval exercises after having indicated that it would is counter-productive. The recent Modi visit to China has been high on atmospherics but with little sign of progress on key issues. Until there is a substantive

Rohingya refugees deserve better Japan times It is estimated that 25,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since November of last year in search of freedom and opportunity. They have discovered that what lies beyond those shores is every bit as inhospitable as the world they tried to leave behind. The result is a refugee crisis in Southeast Asia that demands an immediate response from the region’s governments. Thus far, they have not risen to the challenge.

According to the United Nations, the Rohingya, a distinct Muslim ethnic group living mainly in Myanmar, are one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. It is estimated that as of two years ago there were 1.3 million Rohingya living in Myanmar, where they are considered illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. While Bangladesh has its own Rohingya population, variously estimated to range from 7,000 to 300,000 in number, the Rohingya have in fact been residents of Myanmar for generations.

In 2012, sectarian clashes with the Buddhist majority in Rakhine state resulted in hundreds of deaths and left more than 140,000 people homeless. The Myanmar government forcibly separated the Rohingya from the rest of the state, restricting their movement and declaring them stateless. Earlier this year, their temporary registration certificates were revoked, meaning that they would not be able to vote in the elections to be held in Myanmar later this year. It is a great irony that an election process that is supposed to bring greater democracy and expression to the Myanmar people has instead become an instrument of repression for one of the country’s minorities.

At least 100,000 Rohingya have fled the country in the last two years, providing sustenance to a welloiled regional network of human traffickers. Those networks are unscrupulous, often the equivalent of modern slave traders — when they do not just take the money and set their human cargo adrift at sea.

In recent weeks, the number of Rohingya taking to boats has increased radically, reportedly a result of a crackdown on human smugglers operating in Thailand. The closure of the camps where the refugees were housed on their journeys has forced them to sea, and no country is prepared to accept the influx. As boats approach their shores, coast guards and navies have been deployed to either shoo the vessels away or to give them food and water and then urge them on to other destinations.

The result is pitiful scenes of desperate people crammed onto overloaded and rickety boats, pleading for help as the international media broadcast their plight to the world.

International condemnation prodded Malaysia and Indonesia to announce last week that they will offer temporary shelter for refugees currently on the high seas, but they made no commitment to resettle them permanently or take in future migrants. They also noted that the international community will be expected to provide “necessary support, particularly financial assistance.” For its part, Thailand, which also attended an emergency meeting in Kuala Lumpur to assess the situation and produced that statement, said it will not force migrants to enter the country: “We cannot force them to do anything.”

Clearly, these are the barest minimum of stopgap measures. A broad, coordinated response is needed. The first step is the creation of facilities, and the provision of food, water, shelter and other emergency needs, to house the thousands of people who are already adrift. As U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed out earlier this month, there is an “obligation of rescue at sea” and “a prohibition on ‘refoulement,’ ” the forcible return of refugees to a country where they will likely be prosecuted.

Second, there must be a more permanent solution to the fates of the Rohingya. They cannot be left to fend for themselves in camps, stateless people with no rights nor homes. As a Muslim country, Malaysia would seem to be an obvious destination, and thus far Kuala Lumpur has accepted more than 45,000 Rohingya. But it is unrealistic and unfair to expect that country to accept many more.

Another destination could be Bangladesh, which already has a large Rohingya population that has grown over the last two decades. Unfortunately, they are subject to discrimination there too and many are stuck in squalid camps.

The only enduring solution is for the government of Myanmar to end the hostile policies that force so many Rohingya to flee. The claim that they are recent arrivals is untrue. Evidence suggests that the Rohingya are descendants of Islamic traders who have been in the country for centuries.

The Rohingya are subject to discrimination and chauvinism by the Buddhist majority. They must be afforded the full rights given to all Myanmar’s citizens, and protected from abuse.

The sad truth is that the world, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, have turned a blind eye to the abuses perpetuated against the Rohingya because there has been a larger concern: the rehabilitation of the Myanmar government and its re-entry into the community of nations. That willful blindness must end. As Myanmar enters an election season, it must be reminded that elections do not define democracies. Rule of law and the fair and equal treatment of all its citizens are equally vital components. The Rohingya deserve as much.

change in the relationship, having a strong and stable countervailing security partnership with countries that share our concerns is vital.

Modi has been at his pragmatic best in the manner in which he has elevated India’s relations with the US. Given the bitter legacy of the visa-denial episode, it is remarkable how Modi put that aside to give primacy to this most important relationship for India. The invitation to President Barack obama to be chief guest at the Republic Day anniversary, and the obvious chemistry between the two leaders on display, has restored momentum to a relationship gone somnolent during the waning years of the UPA government.

Though the BJP had opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal, Modi not only acknowledged it as having transformed Indo-US relations but moved quickly to resolve the lingering nuclear liability issue. The adoption of a separate statement on India-US security cooperation in the Indian ocean and the AsiaPacific demonstrated a readiness to pursue convergent interests in a region where Indian and Chinese footprints overlap. But Modi also values the relationship with the US since it is an unmatched partner in India’s quest for modernising its economy and as a source of cuttingedge technology. Japan has a similar value for India. It is a country that, like India, confronts the challenge of a rising China. It’s also already a significant source of capital and technology. Modi has done well to establish a good rapport with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His visit to Japan obviously enthused the country’s business community. But he was unable to clinch the longstanding bilateral civil nuclear agreement which has been under negotiation for several years.

Another important feature of Modi’s foreign policy has been the role given to the Indian diaspora in promoting India’s interests abroad. Highly-publicised interactions with Indian communities abroad have now become a standard routine in his visits. one would hope that these interactions do not detract from, or even overshadow, the primacy objective of

the PM’s visits: to forge stronger links with the host country. While there is continuity in India’s foreign policy under Modi, there are new points of emphasis. one, the primacy given to economic diplomacy. Foreign policy must serve to promote India’s economic interests. Two, the priority attached to India’s neighbourhood. And three, the prominence given to reaching out to the Indian diaspora. At the end of one year, on these three counts and in terms of India’s relations with major powers, Modi has displayed good instincts and sound judgement and even a certain flair for diplomacy. He appears to be enjoying his role as an international figure perhaps more than being prime minister of a complex and fractious polity.

The persistent weakness undermining our credibility with our foreign partners has been the lack of delivery. The coming year may well be the year of reckoning when expectations will have to be met and commitments delivered on. First, the world will be watching to see if India attains a sustained and accelerated rate of economic growth. To maintain the excellent momentum which Modi has unleashed during his first year, the second year must get down to putting in place the nuts and bolts of an efficient governance system.

The writer is a former foreign secretary.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF BRUNEI’S SHARIA LAW Diplomat Bill Ozanick

Last year, the Sultan of Brunei, HassanalBolikah, made headlines when he announced that he would impose sharia law (in three phases) in his Southeast Asian sultanate. The proclamation drew criticism from countless human rights advocates, who labeled the move “draconian” and “medieval.” Celebrities such as Jay Leno, John Legend, and Richard Branson (to name a few) openly protested the decision, with many calling for a boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the Sultan. Despite the opprobrium, the Sultan confidently declared the move a “great success.

Since then, the first phase of sharia law, which include fines and prison sentences for “crimes” such as pregnancies outside of wedlock, propagating religions other than Islam, and not attending mandatory Friday prayers, has been rolled out.

Brunei is currently in the process of implementing the second phase, which will introduce harsh punishments such as floggings and cutting off hands for property offenses.

The third and final phase, which will be implemented later this year or in 2016, will introduce executions, including stoning, for offenses like adultery, abortion, homosexuality/sodomy, and even blasphemy. Bolikah has defended his decision, saying that it was “not for fun, but to obey Allah’s command as written in the Quran.” Unfortunately, the leader of Brunei evidently has not thought through the long-term implications that imposing sharia law will have on his country.

In 2008, the Sultan issued Wawasan Brunei 2035, a long-term plan to transmogrify his nation into a type of “Islamic-Singapore,” where the “accomplishments of Brunei’s well-educated and highly skilled people” will be recognized. Having spent years as a Human Capital Consultant in Southeast Asia, I am convinced that because parts of sharia law will also apply to non-Muslims (who account for roughly 33 percent of Brunei’s population), many intelligent Bruneians will not wish to stay in Brunei and help the Sultan’s plan come to fruition.

Moreover, it is not realistic to think that all of Brunei’s Muslim citizens even want to live under sharia law. Indeed, many of the nation’s brightest Muslim citizens may also abscond from Brunei and

work abroad. Many countries in Southeast Asia already struggle with a brain drain, including Brunei, and the implementation of sharia will not help this tiny nation the size of Delaware to attract and retain a highly skilled, well-educated workforce.

The 2035 plan strives for Brunei to have a “dynamic, sustainable economy.” Sure, revenues from Brunei’s oil and gas sector have steadily poured in for years, but what will become of this nation when all of its natural resources have been depleted? The oil and gas sector is responsible for two-thirds of Brunei’s GDP, 98 percent of its exports, as well as 93 percent of government revenues. The country has yet to put in place the policies and initiatives to ensure it will enjoy a dynamic economy beyond 2035.

Economically, Brunei has little going for it aside from its oil and gas sector. The country’s tourism industry was the only Southeast Asian nation to not experience any growth during the span of 2002-2013, and implementing sharia law will surely not help this already ossified industry. Non-Muslim and Muslim tourists alike will likely opt to spend their vacations traveling to other tourist destinations in the region, such as Malaysia or Indonesia where a more tolerant form of Islam is practiced.

Brunei has a Muslim population of around 220,000, which compares with Indonesia (220 million) and Malaysia (18 million). The latter two countries established themselves as Islamic banking centers years ago; Brunei is unlikely to become a hub for Islamic banking and finance. To make matters worse for Brunei, several members of the U.S. Congress are currently endeavoring to remove it as a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

When the Sultan stated that the decision was not for fun, he should have also said that it was not meant to help the country’s 2035 plan. The introduction of sharia is hardly a reflection of the Sultan’s own piety, as his lavish and licentious lifestyle, most recently documented by 60 Minutes, is no secret. As a consequence, many are simply nonplussed by his decision. Perhaps the only positive result that will come of this move is that it will serve as a stark reminder to all other countries that jettisoning moderate and tolerant policies for sharia is not an astute decision in the 21st century.

Bill Ozanick lived in Southeast Asia for nearly four years, where he consulted for various companies and governments.

10 BUSINESS CORPORATE CORNER LG G4 TO BEGIN SHIPPING IN KEY MARKETS WORLDWIDE

KARACHI: Customers in key markets around the world will finally get their chance to own the latest advanced smartphone from LG Electronics (LG), one which industry experts have widely praised for its exceptional camera, vivid and expansive display, and willingness to set new rules in defining what a premium mobile device could be. LG G4 will begin rolling out this week to consumers in key markets around the world, continuing throughout the month into June and beyond as more retailers and operators see what LG G4 has to offer their customers. Starting in Hong Kong, the G4 will follow with rollouts in Turkey, Russia and Singapore, eventually including most of Europe, North America, CIS, Southeast Asia, Middle East/Africa and South/Central America. Approximately 180 carriers and retails are already on board as G4 partners. PRESS RELEASE

SAMSUNG CHIEF VISITS JPMC TO OBSERVE THE LATEST DONATED EQUIPMENT

KARACHI: The Managing Director of Samsung Pakistan – Mr. J.H. Lee visited the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) in Karachi, recently, to observe the performance of two units of the latest Samsung Echocardiography machines and an Ultrasound Color Doppler machine, recently donated by Samsung to this leading hospital of Karachi. The cutting-edge machines donated by Samsung have been installed at the Department of Radiology – Cyberknife Robotic Radio Surgery & Oncology, at the JPMC, where Free-of-cost diagnosis and treatment facilities are being provided to thousands of patients every month, who come to the JPMC from all over Pakistan. PRESS RELEASE

JS BANK SPONSORS MANAGEMENT CONVERSATIONS DAY KARACHI: The Management Conversations Day 2015 held in Karachi at Marriott Hotel was sponsored by JS Bank. The event brought many great thinkers to one platform; enabling them to debate and share their views regarding the future of Pakistan. The event included 700 delegates which covered speakers, panellists and moderators. There were 9 sessions, conversations, corporate interviews, debates, ministerial keynotes, and futurist keynotes, technology keynote, thought leader keynote, local success stories and interactive entertainment. The event was attended by some by some very prominent Pakistani personalities who offered high-level analysis about the current business landscape. Speakers included founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, icons in the Pakistani business community, parliamentarians, policy makers, management gurus, future thinkers, innovators, writers, leading academics and movers and shakers of civil society. PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

Minister refuses to take responsibility for decline in exports PAKISTAN DECIDES TO JOIN TIR CONVENTION ON TRANSIT GOODS MOVEMENT ISLAMABAD

M

AMER SIAL

inister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir Khan on tuesday refused to accept responsibility for the country’s declining exports and attributed the downfall to the fall in prices of cotton, yarn, gray cloth and rice in the international markets.

He was addressing a news conference on the government’s decision to accede to the tir convention that provides a legal framework for traffic-in-transit of goods across borders among the contracting parties without involving payment of customs duties and taxes. the permission to join the convention was given by Prime Minister nawaz sharif while chairing the cabinet meeting. the accession to tir convention will be a step for trade facilitation to the neighbouring countries on the Western borders and be-

yond, including Afghanistan, iran, turkey and Central Asian republics. Pakistan will provide facilities on reciprocal basis to the truckers of these countries. “india is neither a member of tir convention nor it will be provided these facilities,” he said. this will allow Pakistani truckers to move their goods to the Central Asian states (CAs) without giving 110 per cent guarantees on the export goods to the Afghan authorities. the accession will allow Afghan and CAs truckers movement to Pakistani ports. the commerce ministry allayed the concerns of the other ministries for joining the convention. Pakistan is already is part of regional trade initiative CAreC supported by the Asian Development Bank. the minister refused to accept responsibility for the massive decline in the country’s exports. “We could not be held responsible for the decline in country’s exports. the exports have declined due to the massive drop in the international commodity prices. For exporting rice and wheat, the government will have to bear a financial expense of $ 70 to 100 per ton. this decision can be made only by the finance ministry,” he said. the european Union (eU), which has provided Pakistan with GsP plus status, wants that the country should initiate a state promotion Pr activity in the member countries to inform their public about the benefits

Deposits of all scheduled banks surges by 13pc to Rs 8,747b KARACHI ARSHAD HUSSAIN

the deposits of the scheduled banks surged by 13 per cent to rs 8,747 billion compared to rs 7,585 billion of last year and the decision of sBP to lower discount rates to 7 per cent will affect their deposits, analysts at different brokerage house told Pakistan today on tuesday. the decision to cut the discount rates at 7 per cent will force the scheduled banks to divert their investment towards the private sector, loans and advances, said Hasnain imam, research head at Al Habib Capital Market, a local brokerage house. the analyst further forecasted that the central bank might further cut discount rates in future, which may translate into lower real lending rates and it may favourably impact on demand for credit.

Most of big private banks in Pakistan were already paying lowest rate of return on deposits and after this reduction in the discount rate, the banks would further reduce their rate of return on deposits, the analysts believed. the interest rate has been in decline since november 2014 falling from 10 per cent to 7 per cent now. total assets of the all scheduled banks stood at rs 12.334 billion till April 2015 up by 19 per cent year on year, 22 per cent growth in investment and 9 per cent growth in net advances compared to same period last year. A report of the state Bank of Pakistan (sBP) showed

that the private sector borrowings fell 37 per cent to rs 195 billion during the first 10 months of this fiscal year compared to last year. investments, net advances and deposits up 22 per cent, 9 per cent and 14 per cent YoY respectively, said state Bank data recently released. Meanwhile, data purporting to scheduled banks’ holding of government securities reveals that scheduled banks’ held Pakistan investment Bonds (PiBs) worth rs 2,818 billion, sukuk valued at rs 300 billion and t‐Bills of rs 2,165 billion as on March 31, 2015. total liabilities of scheduled banks stood at rs 11,039 billion as on April 30, up 18 per cent YoY, stemming from a 13 per cent YoY growth in deposits. Primary sources of rising deposit inflows are savings and time deposits while current deposits are witnessing a slight decline due to slowdown in credit to private sector, the analyst said. ensuring adequate level of returns to depositors will help arrest the falling growth in deposits, the analyst further said. Banks have also been making good profits from investment in the government papers particularly high-yield Pakistan investment Bonds (PiBs). Banks earned record profit in 2014 despite all political and non-political hurdles. “their non-performing loans (nPLs) have also reduced,” added the banker. Analysts said the cheaper money had great potential to influence the private sector and boost the economic activity, but a comprehensive economic strategy was needed to utilise the banking money.

of the concessions. However, the aggressive marketing campaign could be only taken if they have funds, he added.

He negated the impression that the government was ready to implement all conditions of the eU for GsP Plus. Majority of the issues were in the provincial sphere and compliance on the 27 conventions was better for the country, he added. the commerce ministry had proposed to the government to lower the duties on raw materials and to make industry competitive, he said.

When asked why the domestic investment has failed to pick up, he said the government was making serious efforts to overcome the twin challenges of energy and extremism. A year-long campaign against extremism had yielded positive results and in the energy sector new initiative would be taken during the next fiscal year, he said. the United nations economic Commission for europe (UneCe) produced the tir Convention in 1975. international road transport Union (irU), Geneva, is responsible for implementing the Convention. As many as 68 states and the european Union are parties to the convention. it allows goods should travel in customs secure vehicles or containers and throughout the journey, duties and taxes at risk should be covered and goods should be accompanied by an internationally accepted customs.

Mango exports fetch $1.1m in six days KARACHI: Pakistan has exported around 2,200 tonnes of mangoes, fetching $1.1 million, since the start of export season on May 20. All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable exporters, importers and Merchant Association’s (PFVA) research and Development Chairman Waheed Ahmed said mango was being exported to saudi Arabia, the United Arab emirates (UAe), iran, Afghanistan, Cis countries and Oman, among others. He said the fruit was being exported for about $500 per tonne this season compared to $250 last year. He attributed improved earnings to the government ban on using wooden boxes for fruit and vegetable exports. Ahmed said a delegation of iranian Quarantine Department is also coming this month to review the prospects of hot water treatment plants. some exporters are already making shipments to iran after getting approval from the quarantine department.

Mango exports to iran would rise further if plants are approved during the visit, he added. Around 29 hot water treatment plants are operational this year as compared to last year’s three. “exporters are hopeful that mango shipments would cross the export target of 100,000 tonnes fetching $60 million compared to 94,000 tonnes ($48 million) last year,” he said. STAFF REPORT

HUAWEI UNVEILS AN ULTRA-COOL AND ELEGANT SMARTPHONE HUAWEI HONOR 4C

COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR ‘THE SUMMIT 2015’

METRO CASH & CARRY JOINS HANDS WITH PUNJAB GOVT TO FIGHT DENGUE

LAHORE: Honor 4C, also referred as Cherry mini would surely become a Cherry for all the Huawei users as this Ultra-cool smart phone is amazingly loaded with all the high tech apps and it is friendly on the pocket as well, which is an additional bonus. Cherry mini would be available to be valuable Huawei customers with the attractive Mobilink Offer of 6GB 3G internet for six months.

Following Huawei’s trend of manufacturing affordable yet high quality and elegant smart phones, Huawei has launched Honor 4C, which is sure to provide all the qualities of a highly expensive smart phone but at an affordable price. The phone has a 5-inch display, slightly larger than the iPhone 6. Straight out of its box, the handset runs the latest build of Android 4.4 KitKat, skinned with Huawei’s ultra-customizable EM 3.0 user interface, which allows users to create their own custom themes to use on the device. PRESS RELEASE

LAHORE: The All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF) presents you “The Summit -2015” and countdown begins. The All Pakistan Business Forum (APBF), under the omniscient leadership of Mr. Ibrahim Qureshi serves as a vibrant business association which promotes the interests of the business community and industry, while also advocating fair business policies and transparency as part of its mandate. Capitalizing on its high-profiled representation from diverse commercial sectors, the APBF has now decided to launch a series of insightful annual events. The first of these powerful events named “The APBF Summit – 2015”, is being held on the 27th of May 2015, at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. This event will highlight the impressive profile of the APBF with strong patronage of numerous Multinational organizations and leading Pakistani enterprises as its sponsors. It will serve as an informative platform to discuss and realign the strategic business roadmap for Pakistan. PRESS RELEASE

LAHORE: METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan in coordination with the Punjab Government has initiated its Dengue awareness program aimed to the surrounding areas of its Model Town store. The awareness campaign, part of METRO Cash & Carry’s Sustainable initiatives, was launched in presence of Government functionaries dignitaries, Habib-METRO management, their employees, customers, and the general public at METRO Cash &Carry Model Town Link road Store. The event was graced by Khawaja Salman Rafique, Advisor to the CM Punjab on Health, Dr. Islam Zafar, Director Dengue Control Programme, Pervaiz Akhtar, Director Corporate Affairs & Company Secretary, METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan, Zafar Iqbal Sobani, Managing Director Habib-METRO Pakistan and Muhammad Amin, Store Manager Model Town, METRO Cash & Carry Pakistan among others. PRESS RELEASE

LEISURE 11

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

HaGaR tHE HoRRIblE

aries

taurus

gemini

Rushing around just doesn't work today because you may have to go back and do things over again. If you have specific tasks that must be completed, you're probably overeager to finish them as quickly as possible.

Finding your creative groove comes naturally today if you limit your activities from the start. Obviously, you want to have something tangible to show for your efforts, but you might sabotage your good intentions by jumping from one idea to another.

You may resist the restrictions being placed on you now, but they are for your own good. Three planets traveling through rambling Gemini encourage you to spread your energy between family and professional matters.

cancer

leo

virgo

It helps to acknowledge the gulf between your subjective and objective worlds without making it an issue for others. Fortunately, your inner life won't get in the way of your progress unless you choose to make it a problem.

You bring a whole new level of awareness to your work today and it can inspire you to perform your job more effectively. Instead of just going through the motions while doing a task, you're considering more economical ways to be productive.

Fortunately, you can draw energy from a deep well of reserve today as long as you don't wander from your task.

Aim high, keep your eyes on the target and your shoulder to the wheel.

dIlbERt

GaRFIEld

libra

scorpio

sagittarius

You may not appear any different from the outside today, but something significant has changed and you know it. Although you might feel weary from being bounced around by strong emotional currents, you aren't willing to just drift along with the flow.

You won't reach a wrong conclusion if you start out with solid facts. Your associates offer good advice that augments your strategy, but their thoughts may not be any better than yours. Rely on your inner compass to lead you in the right direction.

Knowing when to excuse yourself from the conversation is crucial, for your answer will come from within only after the external noise settles down. Ultimately, no one can decide your next step but you.

baldo

capricorn

aQuarius

pisces

It's tempting to take on so many tasks today that you can't do a masterful job on any one of them. Several planets buzzing around in fragmented Gemini are activating your 6th House of Routine, thwarting your efforts to zero in on any single objective.

Your intuition won't let you down today, but you must listen to your inner voice for it to be of value. Unfortunately, setting aside the facts isn't your usual style, but a hunch that comes from out of the blue could defy common sense.

Although you might like to dream your way to success, the Virgo Moon keeps you on a straight and narrow path today. Even if you want to escape, there's little opportunity to fade into the fuzziness of your imagination now.

cRosswoRd

sUdokU

woRd sEaRcH

ACROSS

bRIdGE

How to play fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the squares contains all the digits. the object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.

locale march penetrate rabid retired river ruse sets sheep slink smile stalls stream sues survival tales think total tryst wile winter

Today’s soluTions

spEakING yoUR MINd

cHEss White tO PLAY AND MAte iN tWO MOVes 8

crossword solution

7 6 5 4 3 2

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

chess solution

A

1.Ng5 g6 2.bxb7 *

1

sudoku solution

1 Quarter note (8) 5 Quantity taken (by fishermen?) (4) 9 many times (5) 10 gods and goddesses (7) 11 another place where one feels comfortable (4,4,4) 13 somnolent (6) 14 make possible (6) 17 refuse to listen (4,1,4,3) 20 very academic person (7) 21 long period of time (5) 22 swirling current (4) 23 one to whom money is owed (8) DOwn 1 idiot — liquid turned to a solid state (4) 2 result (7) 3 thought about (12) 4 last (6) 6 friend from spain? (5) 7 diminished (8) 8 founder of psychoanalysis, d. 1939 (7,5) 12 so to speak (2,2,4) 15 corroborate (4,3) 16 hurting (6) 18 fixed (5) 19 norse god (4)

advise alien attitude beds brawn burn charge chilly clean comet cubs current deem doily early empire empress encouragem ent fable flake least

12

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

ARTS

oVerweight in teens boosts miDDle age bowel cancer risk PARis

t

agencies

EENAGERS who are very overweight may run double the risk of developing colorectal cancer when they reach middle age, according to research published Monday. Researchers tracked the health of more than 239,000 men who had been conscripted into the Swedish army between the ages of 16 and 20 from 1969 to 1976.

At the time of conscription, around 12 percent of the men were underweight, more than 80 percent were of normal weight and five percent were moderately overweight. Of the remainder, 1.5 percent were very overweight — with a body mass index of between

27 and nearly 30 — and one percent were obese, with a BMI of more than 30. The conscripts were regularly

checked for colorectal cancer for next 35 years, during which 885 cases — 501 colon cancers and 384 rectal can-

cers — were detected. Those who were very overweight as teenagers were twice as likely to develop bowel cancer in middle age, compared to subjects of normal weight. Those who were obese were nearly 2.4 times likelier to be diagnosed with the disease.

The study, led by Elizabeth Kantor of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, appears in Gut, a specialist journal published by the BMJ. Previous research into obesity and colorectal cancer has looked mainly at adults. This is the first largescale probe into the impact of overweight in teenagers. In adults, bowel inflammation has been suggested as a likely cause of the problem, but it is unclear whether this is the same among teens, said the authors.

Cloudy with a chance of arachnids? ‘Spider Rain’ explained live science Millions of tiny spiders recently fell from the sky in Australia, alarming residents whose properties were suddenly covered with not only the creepy critters, but also mounds of their silky threads. But that’s not where the frightful news ends: Experts say that such arachnid rains aren’t as uncommon as you might think. This month’s spider downpour in the country’s Southern Tablelands region is just the most recent example of a phenomenon commonly known as “spider rain” or, in some circles, “angel hair,” because of the silky, hairlike threads the spiders leave behind. Ian Watson, who lives in the region affected by the spooky shower, took to Facebook to describe what this strange “weather” looks like, according to the Goulburn Post.

“Anyone else

experiencing this “Angel Hair” or maybe aka millions of spiders falling from the sky right now? I’m 10 minutes out of town, and you can clearly see hundreds of little spiders floating along with their webs and my home is covered in them. Someone call a scientist!”

Watson wrote on the Goulburn Community Forum Facebook page. [Fishy Rain to Fire Whirlwinds: The World’s Weirdest Weather] So, here at Live Science, call a scientist (or two) is exactly what we did. Rick Vetter, a retired arachnologist at the University of California, Riverside, said Watson and his neighbors likely saw a form of spider transportation known as ballooning. “Ballooning is a not-uncommon behavior of many spiders. They climb some high area and stick their butts up in the air and release silk. Then they just take off,” Vetter told Live Science. “This is going on all around us all the time. We just don’t notice it.”

The reason people don’t usually notice this ingenious spider behavior is that it’s not common for millions of spiders to do this at the same time, and then land in the same place, said Todd Blackledge, a biology professor at the University of Akron in Ohio. “In these kinds of events [spider rains], what’s thought to be going on is that there’s

a whole cohort of spiders that’s ready to do this ballooning dispersal behavior, but for whatever reason, the weather conditions haven’t been optimal and allowed them to do that. But then the weather changes, and they have the proper conditions to balloon, and they all start to do it,” Blackledge told Live Science. This is likely what happened in New South Wales, where certain species of small spiders — as well as the tiny hatchlings of larger spider species— are known to balloon around the Outback during late autumn (May) and early spring (August).

But, as Blackledge explained, an abrupt change in the weather or wind pattern may have carried these migrating spiders up and away and then back down to earth en mass — not the orderly dispersal that they (or the residents of the Southern Tablelands region) were expecting.

For the startled citizens of Goulburn and surrounding areas, however, the tiny spiders raining down from the sky probably pose no threat to humans, both Blackledge and Vetter said. “There’s a tiny, tiny number of species that have venom that’s actually dangerous to people. And even then, if these are juvenile spiders, they’re going to be too small to even bite, in all likelihood,” Blackledge said.

Rare Albino sparrow spotted in Australia sYDneY agencies A rare pure white sparrow has been spotted in Australia, leaving ornithologists all aflutter Monday. The albino was photographed at Sanctuary Lakes near Melbourne, but it is not expected to survive long with its snowy white plumage making it stand out to birds of prey. Bob Winters, a birdwatching expert and environmental educator, photographed the animal after being alerted to its presence by a friend. But it wasn’t an easy task.

“It’s a very nervous animal, understandably, so I had to try for quite a few days to get some photos,” he told AFP, adding that pure white sparrows had been seen globally only “once in a blue moon”.

Vegan Diet eases nerVe Pain of Diabetes live science

For people with diabetes, switching to a plant-based diet may ease the searing nerve pain that can come with the condition, and perhaps reduce their risk of losing a limb, a small pilot study has found. More than half of adults with Type 2 diabetes may develop diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage resulting from poor blood circulation and high levels of glucose in the blood, previous studies have shown. Diabetic neuropathy can lead to ulcers and other infections on the legs and feet, and is the primary cause of limb amputation for people with diabetes.

There’s no cure for diabetic neuropathy; doctors usually treat the pain with medication and advise the patient to remain vigilant about cleaning wounds to prevent infections Now, in a new study that builds on previous work suggesting that a plantbased, vegan diet can be as effective as medication for treating diabetes, researchers placed 17 overweight adults with diabetic neuropathy on a 20-week low-fat diet that emphasized fresh vegetables and high-fiber, complex carbohydrates such as

beans and whole grains. The participants also attended weekly nutrition classes and took a vitamin B12 supplement, a nutrient that is important for proper nerve function but found naturally only in animal products. [5 Diets That Fight Diseases] Compared with a control group of 17 adults who received B12 supplements but maintained their current, non-vegan diet, the group on the vegan diet reported significant improvements in pain relief. Tests also revealed improved circulation and nerve function, and these participants lost, on average, 14 pounds. Many people in this intervention group also saw improvements in their bodies’ ability to control their levels of glucose, or blood sugar, which then allowed them to lower the dose of their diabetes medication.

The study appears today (May 25) in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes and was led by doctors and nutritionists at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit organization that promotes preventive medicine and a vegan diet.

“We hypothesize that by increasing your insulin sensitivity and improving blood sugar levels, you are allowing your body

time to fix the nerve damage,” said Cameron Wells, a registered dietitian at PCRM and one of the authors of the study. Wells described blood with high glucose levels as being “thick” and unable to deliver nutrients to nerve endings. Normally, glucose is obtained from carbohydrates; and the hormone insulin, secreted by the pancreas, ferries glucose into cells, where it is used as fuel. But in people with Type 2 diabetes, insulin cannot efficiently ferry glucose from the blood into cells for reasons not entirely understood.

Thus, the blood becomes laden with glucose. Maintaining a healthy glucose level is called glycemic control. “Glycemic control has been shown to prevent development and/or progression of diabetic neuropathy,” Dr. David Simpson, a professor of neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York who did not work on the study, wrote to Live Science in an email. “Furthermore, diet and exercise programs, with goal of weight loss, assist in glycemic control and amelioration in progression of diabetic neuropathy.”

A study published in 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at George Washington Univer-

CMYK

SMOKED MUMMY HELPS VILLAGERS CONNECT WITH ‘GHOST WORLD’ live science The smoked mummy of a village chief in Papua New Guinea has gotten a makeover, helping members of his clan connect with his spirit in the “ghost world.” The mummy, also a former shaman and warrior named Moimango, was lashed by the elements over the past several decades, causing his body to deteriorate. But scientists were able to restore Moimango’s body using materials from the jungle. The researchers also learned exactly how the smoked mummies were made, said study co-author Ronald Beckett, a professor emeritus and bioanthropologist at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. [See Images of the Smoked Mummies of Papua New Guinea] High above the village of Koke, on a cliff sheltered by a small overhang, sit the mummified bodies of several deceased members of the Anga clan. The village, in the Aseki region of Papua New Guinea, lies in a remote area between the highlands, which have seen an influx of foreigners due to gold mining, and the coast, which has contact with the outside world through its ports. Beckett first learned about the mummies from photojournalist Ulla Lohmann, who had visited Koke several times. The clan leader, a man named Gemtasu, wanted to improve the condition of the remains of his father Moimango, who was mummified in the 1950s. Gemtasu hoped that by restoring his father’s body, he could also revive the cultural practice of smoking mummies, which missionaries had discouraged for decades. Mummies mark the Anga’s territory. Relatives such as Gemtasu often consulted with departed loved ones for advice and included them in celebrations. The ability to see the face of the departed loved one was critical to this process, Beckett said. According to the Anga, great people whose bodies are not taken care of will roam the jungle as spirits and potentially sabotage hunting or crops, Beckett told Live Science. “The ghost world — that’s a very, very real thing to them,” Beckett said. Mummy restoration The years had not been kind to Moimango. He had a dislodged jaw and a drooping head in danger of completely falling off. Lichens had also infiltrated the body, and at one point, a rodent had burrowed into Moimango’s side, making a nest inside, Beckett said. Beckett and his colleague Andrew Nelson of the University of Western Ontario in Canada wanted the Anga to be able to maintain the restorations themselves. So, in 2008, the team arrived and asked villagers to identify suitable restoration materials from the jungle.

sity found that lifestyle changes — diet and exercise — were twice as effective at controlling diabetes than the leading diabetes drug, metformin. Many of the participants in the new study told the researchers they were impressed by how quickly they lost weight and improved their glycemic control on the plant-based diet, Wells told Live Science. “It’s always so rewarding to see [our patients’] reac-

tions, because it’s indicating ‘I really am doing something that seems to be working,’” Wells said. However, the new study was limited in that the researchers could not determine which element of the lowfat, plant-based diet led to the observed improvements. It could be that merely losing weight — albeit no easy task for many — was the main contributor to neuropathy pain reduction, the researchers wrote.

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

brotHers: aKsHay Has been very encouraging: sidHartH

H

You’ll be seen with Akshay Kumar in your next. How has the experience of working with him been?

Akshay has been very sweet and warm right from our first meet-

13

MIRA RAJPUT: SHAHID KAPOOR'S MOM DESCRIBES HER!

Sidharth wakes up before sunrise,finishes off his workout and then relaxes. With time, your priorities change.

E isn’t signing as many films as his contemporaries are, but Sidharth Malhotra seems unperturbed. He feels giving his best to every project is more important. Here, the 30-year-old talks about sharing screen space with Akshay Kumar, becoming more responsible, and looking for his dream home.

Even though Ek Villain (2014) got a good response at the box office, you didn’t go on a filmsigning spree after that?

A lot of my time after Ek Villain went into prepping for my next, which is being directed by Karan Malhotra. The initial four to six months went into just eating, training, learning new skills, gaining weight, and trying out different looks. If you are devoting so much time to just the rehearsals of a film at such an early stage [of your career], it’s actually a risk. But I enjoyed it, and the result of all that preparation was visible on the sets.

If a film requires you to acquire some special skill, you should take time off and learn that.

ARTS

A few days back, you took your family on a trip. How was it?

I feel I am growing up. For the first time, I took my family on a holiday, which was an emotional thing for myfamily because I planned everything — the tickets, hotel, duration of the trip, etc. They didn’t have to do anything. It changed something in me too. It made me more responsible. ing. We have actually started sharing an elder-younger brother kind of relationship. I think there’s a strong Punjabi connect along with an ‘outside boy’ connect that we share. He tells me, “You should always aim for something higher, and you will get it.” He has been very encouraging. He would often also ask about how my family is doing.

But didn’t you have jitters before sharing screen space with a big star?

This is my first-ever experience of working with a big star. But he told me how to go about things.

This film gave me a first-hand experience of how you should maintain your stardom, and the kind of

TAIWAN CELEBRATES HOU'S BEST DIRECTOR AWARD AT CANNES

TAIPEI: Taiwan celebrated Monday after Hou Hsiao-hsien took the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival, with the country’s president saying the prize had helped bolster the island's image on the world stage. Hou’s film “The Assassin”, a slow-burning drama set in ninthcentury China, cost Tw$450 million ($14.78 million) and took the Taiwanese director 10 years to make. It sees a trained female killer, played by Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, sent back to her home province to kill its governor -- who is also the man she loves. President Ma Ying-jeou sent his congratulations to Hou after the winners were announced at the French festival Sunday. "The innovation and its colourful way of telling the story has inspired a new trend in the arts of film and shone in international skies, vying glory for Taiwan," he said. The award also made headlines in Taiwan's major newspapers and on cable news channels. The country’s culture ministry said that Hou would be awarded Tw$5m ($164,200) to celebrate the feat, praising the movie's newly created martial arts style. The 68-year-old is one of the biggest names in Taiwan's "New Wave" cinema, having won a string of international film awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for "City of Sadness" in 1989 and the 1993 Cannes Film Festival third-place prize for "The Puppetmaster". Taiwan is currently recognised by only 22 countries, as China considers the island part of its territory and demands that all diplomatic allies cut off official ties. agenCies

life you should lead when you reach that level. Even Jackie sir (Shroff) is an extremely chilled out person.

He is so passionate about his work even after doing so many films.

Have you finally zeroed in on your dream home?

I am still on the lookout. It’s very difficult to find the right house with the right vibe and in my budget.

You are from Delhi, so how easy or difficult has it been for you to cope with Mumbai?

With the kind of lifestyle I have [in Mumbai], sometimes I find it tough to adapt to Delhi when I go back. In fact, in recent times, I have changed my timetable due to my fitness regime. I have become more of a morning person even when I am not shooting. Mumbai is known for its nightlife, but I think I have done enough of that. So, the Delhi boy would get up late, but the ‘actor’

But it seems your Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) co-star Parineeti Chopra has been lucky in finding the kind of house she wanted?

Yes, I heard that. I guess you have to be lucky while buying a house. It’s not about how long you have been looking for it. It is about destiny. She was lucky to find a house of her liking. So far, I haven’t liked any of the places I have checked out. If I am going to buy a house, I would rather do it correctly. Courtesy hindustan times

'IT' MOVIES LOSE DIRECTOR CARY FUKUNAGA It will be a Memorial Day weekend to remember for Cary Fukunaga but not for the best reasons.

The filmmaker, who became a hot director after helming the first season of HBO’s True Detective, has left New Line’s adaptation of Stephen King’s landmark novel It. Sources say that New Line and Fukunaga are parting ways over budgetary reasons that stem from a difference in creative visions.

The movie was due to begin shooting in three weeks. The story follows a group of teens called the Losers Club who defeat a creature called It. Years later, the creature returns, and the members of the club — now adults — have to band together again even though they have no memory of the first battle. The plan was for the first movie to tell the kids’ story and the second movie to focus on the adults. Insiders say that New Line had greenlit the movie at $30 million (the second part would have had a larger budget) and that Fukunaga’s drafts were coming in at a higher number. Even with the start of principal photography approaching, the script was still being reworked.

Execs, producers and the director realized they were at an impasse and would not make their start date. Fukunaga decided to leave the project, which has now been pushed indefinitely.

Will Poulter (We're the Millers) was in negotiations to play the creature, who took the form of a clown, but it is unclear if he will remain connected to the project.

The parting does illustrate the pitfalls of a director who made a strong mark in the indie (and TV) world to work inside a system that can seem more constrained. New Line tends to have a lower budget threshold than its corporate parent, Warner Bros., but it's also had great success with horror.

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, was made for $20 million, for example.

It had been a passion project for Fukunaga, who had been developing the films for years as his star slowly rose. His process, which included strong ideas on casting, butted heads with New Line. "It was not a fit," said one source.

At a Tribeca Film Festival panel with former Focus CEO James Schamus last month, Fukunaga seemed excited to begin filming the project, which he said he was then eight weeks away from starting to shoot in New York. The project would have marked the first movie he filmed in New York City since film school.

While he couldn't give too much away, Fukunaga did say that the movie would end his series of movies in which child characters die onscreen.

"Hopefully after that, I’ll move into much more pleasant fare," he said, adding that he remains fixed on the "white face in the sewer" image from when he saw the miniseries. Courtesy hollywood reporter

Kate Winslet feels maKeup is ‘liberating’ “Wearing makeup can make a woman feel confident, feminine and celebrated — and I think it also brings a sense of liberation,” Winslet told the Stella magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The 39year-old actress also revealed the secret method she uses to keep her skin glowing and ready for the cameras. She said: “Fresh air does wonders for my skin so I keep a window open in my room at night for a little bit of breeze. I try to get as much sleep as possible, and drink plenty of water too.” Meanwhile, Winslet said she is feeling much more confident in her own body and deals with the “judgement (and) scrutiny” by examining her career successes instead of focussing on her figure. Courtesy times of india

CMYK

Shahid Kapoor and Mira Rajput's wedding is apparently going to take place in Greece on June 10. While, further details of the do are still under wraps, Shahid's mother, Neelima Azeem, has spoken about Mira Rajput in an interview with Mid-day. Neelima was quoted in the report as saying that she is extremely happy for Shahid and that as a mother, she supports and blesses him.

She also added that Shahid has been busy with his work and had been leading a bachelor's life and that it is exciting for her to see him finally settle down. She wished the actress and his wife a wonderful life together. Neelima also quashed rumours that claimed that Shahid's marriage is an arranged one. She insists that it is Shahid's decision to marry Mira. She is quoted in the report as saying that Shahid knew what he was doing. She revealed that she had met Mira in Mumbai and again in Delhi. Courtesy times of india

JOHNNY DEPP COULD FACE 10 YEAR JAIL FOR PET DOGS

An Australian Senate committee said if the matter goes to court and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star is found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in jail or a maximum fine of USD 265,000, reported People magazine. Depp, 51, landed in hot water earlier this month after flying into Australia on a private jet with his Yorkshire Terriers -Pistol and Boo ?- breaking the country's strict quarantine laws. According to the reports, an ongoing investigation found that Depp, his fellow passengers and the flight crew did not declare the dogs' presence, and they were only discovered after the pups were taken to a local groomer and photos were posted on social media. The Australian Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, then threatened to have the Yorkies euthanized unless they were flown out of the country within 50 hours. Courtesy times of india

SAMEE CHAUDHRY Shoaib Malik is the Malik Riaz of Pakistan Cricket, a Bahria Town of talent but always suspicious with his routine performance.

BABAR AWAN CM Punjab wants another judicial commission from Lahore High Court. Why are you still hiding Justice Baqir Najafi report? #Daska

KANYE WEST Kim, I’m so happy to be married to the girl of my dreams… I love you and Nori so much!!! I would find you in any lifetime.

MEHREEN ZAHRAWhen caught doing something wrong as a kid, we’ve all said, “He made me do it!”, implicating a friend or servant.

Bol apologists reminded me

SHAH RUKH KHAN I believe Being a brother is bigger than being a Hero.

‘Bhaijaan’ coming Eid 2015.

How do u like the first look?

14 SPORTS

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

ShArAPovA JeereD oFF Court, MurrAy BreezeS through

S

SPORTS DESK

ECOND-SEEDED Sharapova defeated Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-4 to set up a clash against Russian Fed Cup teammate Vitalia Diatchenko. But the 27-year-old irritated the Philippe Chatrier Court crowd by refusing to carry out the traditional on-court television pleasantries, claiming her voice was not strong enough.

She said she had been suffering from a cold in a worrying repeat of last year when she was also sick in the run-up to Paris. “I totally understand that everyone usually does the interviews and answers a few questions,” said Sharapova, who was also champion in 2012 and runner-up in 2013. “It’s absolutely normal. I’m not making any excuses but I’ve got to do what I have to do.” There were no such problems for British third seed Andy Murray, twice a semi-finalist, who took his clay record this season to 11-0 with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Argentine “lucky loser” Facundo

Stephens ended 15th seed and fellow American Venus Williams’s 18th French Open at the first-round stage with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 victory.

With her 35th birthday in three weeks’ time, the defeat is certain to place a question mark over the future of seven-time major winner Williams, who was runner-up to

Arguello. Murray, with claycourt titles in Munich and Madrid, goes on to face either Canadian world number 53 Vasek Pospisil or Portugal’s 44th-ranked Joao Sousa.

“Always the first round of the majors is tough and it was quite windy and difficult conditions at the start,” said Murray. Sloane

Pellegrini sure City will win title back After losing the Premier League title to Chelsea this season, Manuel Pellegrini has promised his side will come back stronger.

Manuel Pellegrini has vowed to bring the Premier League title back to Manchester City next season after the Citizens relinquished their crown to Chelsea. “I am sure we are going to return stronger next season and that we are going to recover the title for the Etihad,” he told the Manchester Evening News.”The same way that our stadium is growing with the new stand, I think the club completely will grow. There are a lot of important things in our project that we must try to improve every year.”

City won a Premier League and League Cup double in Pellegrini’s maiden campaign in 2013-14, but it was Chelsea’s turn to achieve the same feat under Jose Mourinho this term. The Chilean is expected to stay on next season, but reports in the press suggest City is hoping to tempt Pep Guardiola to the Etihad Stadium at the end of his Bayern Munich contract. SPORTS DESK

Novak Djokovic begins title bid with win over Jarkko Nieminen

sister Serena in 2002 but has not gone beyond the fourth round since 2006. “Sometimes things don’t work out the way you would like,” said Venus. “I have a little while now between tournaments, so I will get ready for the grass at Wimbledon.” Ex-world number two and 2012 Wimbledon runner-

up Agnieszka Radwanska was also a shock first-round loser. The Polish 14th seed, a quarter-finalist in 2013, went down 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Germany’s Annika Beck, a player she defeated 6-0, 6-0 when they met at Indian Wells last year.

The loss was only the third time in 34 Grand Slam tournaments that 26-year-old Radwanska had lost in the first round. “Maybe I’m getting older,” said the tearful Pole.

World number four Tomas Berdych, a 2010 semi-finalist, continued his solid claycourt season with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 win over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, the world number 146.

Berdych will now face 36year-old Davis Cup-winning teammate Radek Stepanek, who became the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 38year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991 when he saw off Croatian journeyman Ivan Dodig 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

Spain’s 11th seed Feliciano Lopez was the biggest men’s casualty when he lost to Russian world number 74 Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.

RAFAEL NADAL EXTENDS FRENCH OPEN WIN STREAK TO 36 MATCHES PARIS

Blatter says ‘confident’ of new FIFA term

Australian Open in January because of an injured shoulder. Also advancing was David Ferrer, who recorded his 300th career match win on his favorite surface with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win over 94th-ranked Lukas Lacko on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The seventh-seeded Ferrer, who punctuated the match with a final cross-court forehand winner at the net, has won all 13 of his career first-round matches at the clay-court major.

ZURICH: FIFA leader Sepp Blatter said Tuesday he is confident of securing a new term as head of world football and slammed what he called the “negative influences” that he said threaten the game. The 79-year-old head of sport’s most powerful federation is favourite to secure a fifth term in a vote on Friday but has faced an unprecedented challenge from FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin al Hussein while European football leaders have stepped up their criticism of the Swiss leader. Blatter said “I am confident” as he entered a meeting of the CONCACAF north and central American confederation in Zurich. CONCACAF makes up 35 of the 209 federations that will vote on Friday and the president traditionally addresses the precongress meeting of each regional confederation.

The FIFA leader has faced renewed calls for change from Prince Ali of Jordan and UEFA president Michel Platini in the run up to the vote.

Other challengers who have withdrawn from the race have also hit out at Blatter’s tactics. Former Portugal great Luis Figo, who backed out last week to support Prince Ali, said the vote would give Blatter “absolute power” for another four years. “Luis Figo is a free man. He can say what he wants,” Blatter responded in his comments to reporters. In an excerpt of a column he has written for the FIFA Weekly magazine, Blatter called on all federations to “to safeguard the interests of football and protect the game from negative influences.” The short extract did not say what the “negative influences” are but the FIFA has increasingly railed against match-fixing and racism in the game in recent months. The full column will be released on Thursday. AGENCIES

ternational competition, but this year we finish at the end of May and start again at the end of June.

“It takes you two weeks to just get out of the heat of the Premier League and then you have to prepare again.”

Wenger has a particular issue with the scheduling of the Copa America, where Sanchez will aim to take hosts Chile all the way to the final in Santiago on July 4. “I feel this competition is a bit too much. I will watch it,

but with a little bit of fear because Sanchez has played 50 games for us and goes there again, having already played in the World Cup last summer,” said the Arsenal boss. “I am really surprised that FIFA authorised that. “It is disappointing that they speak a lot about the health of the players, but when you look at the competition that is organised, this Copa America, and look at the date of the start of the Premier League, it is not reasonable.”

AGENCIES

Rafael Nadal didn’t really get much of a test in the first round.

The nine-time French Open champion began his bid for title No. 10 at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament Tuesday with a quiet 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Quentin Halys, an 18-year-old wild-card entry from France who is ranked 296th and had never played a match at a major tournament.

Nadal, who lost his only match on the Parisian dirt when he was taken out by Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009, extended his impressive record at Roland Garros to 67-1. There were many question marks surrounding Nadal’s form ahead of the tournament after he dropped to seventh in the rankings following a laborious start to the season. He entered the tournament with five losses on clay, the first time he’s had more than three in a year since dropping six back in 2003 as a teenager.

His victory over Halys is unlikely to give him much indication about his current level, but at least it was a smooth start to the tournament. Because of his low seeding, Nadal could face top-ranked Novak Djokovic as soon as the quarterfi-

Australia saw their three brightest prospects all make it to the second round. Nineteen-yearold wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis defeated Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 while 27th seed Bernard Tomic saw off Italy’s Luca Vanni 6-3, 36, 6-3, 6-4. Kokkinakis and Tomic will face off for a place in the third round where top seed Novak Djokovic will likely be waiting.

Nick Kyrgios, the 29th-seeded Australian who beat Roger Federer in Madrid earlier this month, eased past Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4, 6-3. Spanish eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, a quarter-finalist in 2008 and 2014, beat Romania’s Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2. German 11th seed Angelique Kerber, the champion on clay in Charleston and Stuttgart, needed just 50 minutes to brush aside Timea Babos of Hungary 6-0, 6-1.

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka, who missed last year’s Roland Garros through injury, marked her return by beating Spain’s María-Teresa Torró-Flor 6-2, 6-1.

nals this year. Carrying a 22-match winning streak into the tournament where he chases the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection, the Serb was up against Jarkko Nieminen later on center court.

Over on Court 2, reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic eased into the second round by beating Robin Haase 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. It’s Cilic’s first Grand Slam match since winning his title in New York in September. He missed the

SPORTS DESK

Novak Djokovic was a break down in the second set against Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen but recovered to record a 6-2 7-5 6-2 win in the French Open first round at Roland Garros. World number one and tournament favourite Djokovic began his latest bid to complete a career Grand Slam with a solid enough win over world number 87 Nieminen, who served for the second set leading 5-4 but could not quite scramble over the line to make matters more interesting. In their first match at a Grand Slam event on Tour, Djokovic was unsurprisingly always the likelier figure and his opponent’s slim prospect of victory probably disappeared when he failed to restore parity at 1-1. With the score level at 30-30 in the tenth game of the second set, Djokovic won the next two points to level at 5-5 before benefiting from Nieminen’s obvious deflation to close out the set with another break in the 12th game. The third set was more like a practice session as Djokovic ran through it in around 40 minutes to secure his progress. He will face Gilles Muller or Paolo Lorenzi in the last 16. SPORTS DESK

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed his concern over Alexis Sanchez’s inclusion in Chile’s Copa America squad. The Arsenal striker, who scored 17 goals for the Gunners in the Premier League, is set to lead Chile’s front line in the South American tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 4.

Sanchez’s inclusion means that the 26-year-old will have played a year’s non-stop football having left the 2014 World Cup to head straight back into action with Arsenal. With the need for players to have at least four weeks’ holiday, there will inevitably be a disruption of pre-season plans, which for Arsenal include a trip to Singapore for the Barclays Asia Trophy in mid-July. It is a state of affairs which has left Wenger less than impressed.

“Moving the fixture calendar forward deeply affects preseason and I believe it is the wrong decision of the Premier League to start on August 8,” said Wenger, whose side ended the Premier League campaign in third place and so avoided a Champions League play-off next season, but will take on Aston Villa in next weekend’s FA Cup final at Wembley. “The players have played the (2014) World Cup, then you have no winter break, you come out (of the Premier League season) and when you reach the FA Cup final, you play on May 30, then the European players who are called up by their international teams play until June 14, then you start (the new season) on August 8. “If you count six weeks’ preparation, where is the time for recovery? “As a manager, you usually have a bit of time to relax after the season when there is no in-

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SPORTS 15

Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

‘Distraught’ hamilton set for revenge in Canada Mercedes Formula 1 will be in full gremlin-hunting mode when it regroups at its factory, while driver Lewis Hamilton will be looking for ‘revenge’, following one of the sport’s biggest strategic blunders at the 2015 Monaco GP. The team won the race for the third year in a row with Nico Rosberg, but the headlines were all about how it blew a surefire victory for Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton had the race under control until the pace car was deployed some 14 laps from the end, and he was called in for a needless pit stop while his rivals stayed out. He finished third after earlier leading Rosberg by more than 20 seconds – a lifetime in F1 terms – and his overall championship lead over his team mate was halved to 10 points. SPORTS DESK

Manchester United title challenge depends on summer signings, says Louis van Gaal

Nz CoNCerNS over ANDerSoN AND WAtlINg

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EW Zealand have fitness worries over two key middle-order players ahead of the second Test at Headingley with allrounder Corey Anderson and wicketkeeper BJ Watling both struggling with injuries sustained at Lord’s.

Watling is only rated as 50-50 to be ready for Friday after picking up a knee injury on the opening day of the first Test which prevented him from keeping for the rest of the match although he did manage gutsy innings of 61 not out and 59. Anderson, meanwhile, suffered a back injury which meant he only bowled three overs in the second innings although he, too, batted well for 67 as New Zealand tried to save the match.

“BJ’s not 10%, clearly his knee is still an issue,” coach Mike Hesson said. “He struggles to push off and get a lot of power so he’s a 50-50 at this stage. From Corey’s perspective bowling was painful and so was fielding so we’ll need to monitor that.”

New Zealand have plenty of wicketkeeping cover should Watling not recover, in what would be a situation of

history repeating itself after he was ruled out of the corresponding Test two years ago after being injured at Lord’s.

Tom Latham took the gloves after lunch on the opening day, and collected six catches across the two innings, while Luke Ronchi, who is uncapped at Test level, is part of the squad.

Anderson, though, is important to the balance of New Zealand’s side and Hesson acknowledged that his injury had left the frontline bowlers with an excessive workload which had played a part in England’s fight-

back on the fourth day, which is when Hesson sensed the match was moving away from the visitors. “It was really the fourth day that turned it around, we felt we bowled well enough to get three or four wickets in the morning but Alastair Cook and the way Ben Stokes and Joe Root played took the game away from us. That was the turning point. As a bowling unit we were a bowler light so that put a lot of pressure on other guys so they are stiff and sore and we need to make sure come Friday they are fresh.”

Nitin Patel resigns as India physio Besides finalising the new coach of the India team, the BCCI will also have to search for a new chief physiotherapist after Nitin Patel resigned from the post. Patel is understood to have put in his papers during the IPL, citing personal reasons. Though the resignation has not been formally accepted yet, a BCCI insider revealed that Patel had “made up his mind since he wants to spare more time at home”. Patel has been one of the longestserving support staff members of the national team. Ever since being roped in midway through India’s tour to England in 2007, after John Gloster had been injured, Patel has emerged as one of the key backroom staff for India. For the last couple of years, Patel had been touring with the India team primarily for limited-overs series and used to look after the rehabilitation of BCCI-contracted players at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He had been instrumental in relocating the injury rehabilitation centre from Bangalore to the Sri Ramachandra Medical College campus in Chennai last year. Besides helping in healing player injuries, Patel also developed the modules for the BCCI’s physiotherapy training courses. SPORTS DESK

De Kock bound for Titans, Parnell to Cobras Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal admits a title challenge next season depends entirely on how they fare in the summer transfer window. Van Gaal spent heavily during his first summer in charge of Manchester United, having joined the Red Devils after he guide the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Brazil. The Dutchman paid a British record £59.7 million fee for Angel Di Maria during last summer’s window and paid a whopping £6m to Monaco to take Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan. The Red Devils have subsequently opted out of a clause to make the Colombian’s deal permanent, saving themselves another £43.5m and £265,000-per-week. After guiding United to a fourth-place finish, ensuring Champions League qualification, Van Gaal now wants to add to his squad substantially in the summer in the hope of building a title-winning side. “The board of Manchester United shall say now we have to battle for the championship,” he told MUTV. “It’s a fantastic challenge but that’s also dependable on how we can purchase very good players and how we can improve our balance in our selection. SPORTS DESK

SPORTS DESK Quinton de Kock and Wayne Parnell are the two nationally contracted players who have opted to change franchises ahead of the 2015-16 summer. Both are leaving the teams where their careers began with De Kock moving from Lions to Titans and Parnell from Warriors to Cobras.

De Kock’s shift is more surprising because he was quite close to Lions’ head coach Geoffrey Toyana, who oversaw an important phase of his career when he was trying to break into international cricket. After de Kock had an unsuccessful start with a particularly poor tour of Sri Lanka in 2013, Toyana spent many hours in the nets with him to hone his game. The results were stand out - de Kock reeled off three centuries in succession against India, became South Africa’s regular limited-overs opener and wicketkeeper and started his Test career as well.

In the process, de Kock also earned IPL deals, first with Sunrisers Hyderabad and then Delhi Daredevils where he would have worked closely with Rob Walter, Titans’ head coach for two seasons

after a long stint as South Africa’s fitness and fielding coach. Titans won their first trophy under Walter, the one-day cup in the 2014-15 season, after sharing the trophy with the Cobras the year before.

Walter has two more years in charge and will be targeting more silverware.

De Kock will add to a squad that has already poached another Lions player, Chris Morris and two other glovemen.

Heino Kuhn and Mangaliso Mosehle may give him a break from being behind the stumps. The situation will not be too unusual for de Kock, who also found himself with a clutch of keepers at the Lions. Thami Tsolekile and Dominic Hendricks both play at Lions and have been retained for next season.

At the coastal end of the country, Parnell travels from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town for “lifestyle” reasons according to his agent Donne Commins.

While his move has left the Eastern Cape based franchise without one of their senior bowlers, it has added to the embarrassment of riches in the Western Cape.

Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Rory Kleinveldt, Justin Kemp, Dane Piedt and

Robin Peterson make up the international component of the Cobras attack while they also have promising youngsters in Dane Paterson and Mthokozisi Shezi, who, like Parnell, is a left-arm seamer.

The only solace for the other fran-

chises is that Cobras’ national players do not often turn out for them because of international commitments and Parnell is likely to be no different. When he is available, coach Paul Adams intends to use him as a “fully-fledged allrounder.”

BAYLISS CONFIRMED AS ENGLAND COACH SPORTS DESK Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as England’s new coach the day after it emerged that he had become the ECB’s preferred choice ahead of Jason Gillespie.

He will join the ECB next month ahead of the Ashes series which begins in July.

Bayliss, 52, a former Sri Lanka coach who led them to the World Cup final in 2011 and No. 2 in the Test rankings, is currently coach of New South Wales where he has won two Sheffield Shield titles in separate stints, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He briefly coached Australia last year during a Twenty20 series against South Africa and his appointment will see him reunited with Paul Farbrace who was his assistant with Sri Lanka. Both men were in the team bus that was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009.

His pedigree in limited-overs cricket was a key factor in his favour ahead of Gillespie as England look to overturn their horrendous white-ball form in time for

next year’s World T20 in India followed by the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup - both of which will be held in England.

“Trevor is a good, old-fashioned coach who likes to work behind the scenes,” he told the Evening Standard. “He doesn’t like the limelight very much and just lets the players get on with it most of the time.

“If he sees something wrong he is very strict about it and will keep a firm line around the team, putting his foot down to make sure certain things do not happen.

“He will give the team a clear

game plan but then he will let them play. He will try to help the captain in his decision-making and is very sharp on tactics, although he is not a huge guy for statistics.” Jayawardene dismissed the suggestion that Bayliss’ lack of international playing experience was a issue.

“I don’t think it is a problem that he never had international playing experience. A lot of good coaches around the world are in the same position and you just need to look at Trevor’s record.

He has been very consistent in all forms of the game.

“I am sure he knows what needs to be done and that he will give it a good try. It is a great time for him to take the job, because this is a young England side with a lot of talented players.”

“It’s an honour to be appointed England coach,” Bayliss said. “There’s a great opportunity to help Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan shape the direction and development of their respective teams. I am also looking forward to working alongside Paul Farbrace once again as we have a similar outlook on the game, get on well after two years working together and have kept in touch.

“What particularly excites me about the role is the chance to work with a very talented group of players. I firmly believe that the team has a bright future and I’ll be doing everything I can to help them realise their potential and achieve success on a consistent basis.” Bayliss was the only non-Englishman interviewed just over a year ago when England searched for a replacement for Andy Flower before they eventually settled on returning to Peter

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Moores - an appointment that lasted barely 12 months. Bayliss was told, at the time, that he had interviewed well but that the preference was for an English coach.

While England have used specialist Australian coaches in the past - the likes of David Saker, who was bowling coach - and have had two head coaches from Zimbabwe, they have never previously employed an Australian as head coach. Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said: “Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, has global experience and is very highly regarded in the game. He has proved himself in both domestic and international cricket, has a strong reputation for man-management and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats.

“His expertise in the shorter forms of the game will be vital as we build towards three major ICC events over the next four years “Trevor will also work well with Paul Farbrace, an exceptional coach who will continue as assistant coach after helping us to an outstanding victory over New

Zealand in the first Investec Test of the summer. This has been a very competitive recruitment process and we’re grateful to all of the candidates who showed their interest in this role. I’m excited to have him on board.”

Andrew Jones, the New South Wales chief executive, said: “Trevor has been an outstanding coach for NSW and internationally. He has a wonderful ability to get the best out of sides with his firm but low key approach. And his attacking attitude as a batsman develops a belief in proactive and entertaining players and teams.

“His appointment as England coach is another feather in the cap for NSW cricket, which continues to produce players and coaches of outstanding quality. The highly anticipated Ashes series will now have an extra dimension, with Trevor coming up against nine NSW players he helped mentor who make up the bulk of Australia’s squad. In the short term, Farbrace will remain in charge for the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley and the limited-overs games that follow it.

SPORTS Wednesday, 27 May, 2015

MALik finALLy ScoReS A ton, PAkiStAn winS

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ETURN of international cricket to Pakistan might have been fraught with threat of violence, but the first ODI in the country in six years brought about the most non-violent 375 you could imagine, setting up a 41-run win. In an incredibly cool and calculated innings, hardly a shot was hit in anger as Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Haris Sohail chipped and chopped an innocuous attack to the highest total in Pakistan. However, the thinness of Pakistan’s attack, the flatness of the pitch and the fact that Zimbabwe’s batting is much stronger than their bowling, became apparent in the chase with bowlers other than Wahab Riaz never looking like taking a wicket. Elton Chigumbura scored a chanced century, Hamilton Masakadza a fifty, but the chase only kicked into life towards the end, by which time the asking rate had reached 15 an over, a task too tall with four Riaz overs to contend with.

With Mohammad Sami and Anwar Ali struggling with the ball, Pakistan will be thankful their batsmen posted the total they did. This was the first time their top four all scored at least 50, and the first Pakistan innings to feature two 150-run stands. Malik’s 112 off 76 was his fastest century. Pakistan hit 35 fours and 10 sixes in all, but that masked the lack of frenetic hitting and powerful strokes you associate such big scores with.

Azhar and Hafeez began sedately before opening up in a 170-run stand, Pakistan’s third-highest opening partnership at home. The duo missed out on what looked like certain centuries, falling within eight balls of each other, but Malik and Sohail took over from where they

left, and added some more intent as you would expect after a 170-run opening.

Playing for the first time in two years, Malik posted his first score of more than 43 in five years, at once reminding you why he had been dropped and why quite a few have been disappointed with an unfulfilled career.

Azhar and Hafeez were Pakistan’s fourth different opening combination in their last five ODIs, and the tentativeness showed in their start of eight runs in five overs on a pitch that never misbehaved.

In the sixth over, though, Azhar, the captain playing his first international at home, took the first risk, playing across the line of a ball outside off, placing it wide of mid-on for three. Azhar was off after that shot, racing away to 21 off 24 with Hafeez labouring to five off the same number of deliveries.

Hafeez didn’t take too long before getting a move on himself, playing pickup shots for four and six off Tinashe Panyangara in the ninth over. Zimbabwe’s attack didn’t have the necessary threat to hold the openers back. Azhar reached his fifty first, but Hafeez followed him soon and when he hit the remodelled Prosper Utseya - now bowling little legrollers for successive fours in the 22nd over, Pakistan’s run rate had crossed six an over never to come back down again.

These two shots summed up the touch play this partnership relied on: first a mere push between mid-off and extra cover, and then waiting for the expected flatter delivery and back-cutting it between point and short third man.

Utseya managed to get both the openers out, but looking at how Malik and Sohail went he must be wishing he hadn’t.

It was Malik in this partnership that made a slow start, but from the moment he

Scoreboard

skipped out of the crease and lofted Sikandar raza for a straight six in the 33th over he galloped along. With Malik looking in rare touch, Sohail could take it easy and settle in. As with Hafeez and Azhar, it was more about clever placement and missing the infielders rather than manic hitting for Malik.

Forty-one came off the Powerplay, and at 263 for 2 in 40 overs Pakistan were set to break the Lahore record of 357, what with 10 an over in the last 10 almost the norm in modern ODI cricket. Except that Pakistan are one of the teams that usually buck the trend. Not here. In Malik and Sohail they had right amount of placement and power, in Zimbabwe they had a flat attack, and the two carried the party on. Clean hits cleared the fence, mis-hits fell to ground, Zimbabwe missed quite a few yorkers, the fielding went flat, and 112 came off the last 10. In the 49th

over Malik raised the first international century in Pakistan in six years. Sohail, who relied on some power hitting over the leg side in his 89 off 66, ran out of time, but time was a bigger problem for Zimbabwe who were about 40 minutes behind schedule in finishing their 50 overs.

They didn’t show much more urgency in the chase, looking for the most part content with batting out the 50 overs of their own. Chigumbura and Masakadza added 124 for the third wicket, but they did so in 20 overs, which meant the asking rate had reached 14.5 for the last 17 overs. Chigumbura, who survived a plumb lbw shout and benefitted from two dropped catches, brought brief interest to the chase, racing away to his first ODI century, in the process hitting Sami for a hat-trick of fours and then for 22 in another over. Riaz, though,

Pakistan Mohammad Hafeez b Utseya 86 Azhar Ali* c Panyangara b Utseya 79 Shoaib Malik c Masakadza b Panyangara 112 Haris Sohail not out 89 Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 3, nb 1) 9 Total (3 wickets; 50 overs) 375 Did not batSarfraz Ahmed†, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah Fall of wickets 1-170 (Azhar Ali, 25.6 ov), 2-174 (Mohammad Hafeez, 27.1 ov), 3-375 (Shoaib Malik, 49.6 ov) Bowling T Panyangara 10-0-75-1, BV Vitori 10-1-77-0, CB Mpofu 10-0-700, SC Williams 5-0-42-0, P Utseya 10-0-63-2, Sikandar Raza 5-0-43-0 Zimbabwe V Sibanda c & b Wahab Riaz 23 Sikandar Raza c Mohammad Hafeez b Anwar Ali 36 H Masakadza c Hammad Azam b Shoaib Malik 73 E Chigumbura* b Wahab Riaz 117 SC Williams c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 36 R Mutumbami† not out 21 P Utseya not out 21 Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7 Total (5 wickets; 50 overs) 334 Did not batCR Ervine, CB Mpofu, T Panyangara, BV Vitori Fall of wickets 1-56 (Sikandar Raza, 9.4 ov), 2-65 (Sibanda, 12.6 ov), 3-189 (Masakadza, 32.5 ov), 4-263 (Williams, 42.1 ov), 5293 (Chigumbura, 44.4 ov) Bowling Mohammad Sami 7-0-63-0, Anwar Ali 10-0-81-1, Wahab Riaz 10-0-47-3, Hammad Azam 5-0-29-0, Yasir Shah 6-0-35-0, Mohammad Hafeez 8-0-44-0, Shoaib Malik 4-0-33-1 MATCH DETAILS Toss - Pakistan, who chose to bat Series - Pakistan led the 3-match series 1-0 Player of the match - Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) Umpires - Aleem Dar and RB Tiffin (Zimbabwe) TV umpire - Ahmed Shahab Match referee - Azhar Khan Reserve umpire - Shozab Raza

proved too good for him, troubling him with bouncers before cleaning him up with a quick Yorker, also ending the game in the process. Pakistan, though, will be worried at how ineffective their second string of bowlers were.

Waqar unhappy with 2-0 win, wants more from the team KARACHI aGeNcIeS

Pakistan team filled with fixers, shouldn’t be taken seriously, says Shoaib Akhtar Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has dropped yet another bomb on the cricket of Pakistan as he made some of the most controversial comments on the team, in which he played for several years. The everso-controversial fast bowler revealed that the results of the matches were decided in the dressing room and not the playing ground. He added that Pakistan team should not be taken seriously. “Pakistan team is not to be taken seriously.” Shoaib Akhtar said in an interview to Harsha Bhogle on a sports channel. “All the captains of the team lacked any Cricket knowledge.

The results of the matches were decided in the dressing room, and playing in actual did not contribute to the results.” He added. The 39 year-old pacer, who was himself involved in many different controversies over the course of his career, revealed that the team has been full of fixers, and no one has played for the team. “I cannot tell you how many fixers there were in the team. In Pakistan Cricket team, everyone played for himself and no played for the team as a whole.” Akhtar added. Shoaib Akhtar mostly was repetitive of what he write in his book about Pakistan’s Cricket team, but giving those statements in an Indian show in India has created a feeling of outrage among the fans of the team. SPorTS deSK

Rhodes in Sri Lanka for short coaching stint Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa batsman and current Mumbai Indians fielding coach, will be in Sri Lanka from Tuesday for a 10-day stint as fielding coach ahead of the side’s home series against Pakistan next month. Rhodes will educate the coaches, the Sri Lanka players and other national, development and junior teams on the latest techniques of fielding. He had been in talks with Sri Lanka Cricket to work with the national side and the board had asked him for a program. SPorTS deSK

Pakistan managed to claim victories in both their matches of the Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe that concluded on Sunday night but the two wins were far from convincing.

Their coach Waqar Younis is fully aware of the fact that his charges came close to losing against the tourists on either occasions. And that’s why the former Test pacer, who has been under fire for his team’s below-par showing in the World Cup and the tour of Bangladesh, is not satisfied with the way his players have performed against the Zimbabweans.

Following his team’s narrow twowicket win in the second and final T20 game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday night, Waqar expressed his concern at his team’s brittle batting line-up. He was also unimpressed by his bowlers’ effort in both games as Zimbabwe posted over

170 runs on either occasion.

“We were fifth (in the rankings) and remained fifth,” Waqar told reporters after Sunday’s match. “We were expecting that we would win this but never thought of such tight matches. We might have won but without the sense of jubilation. We are a better team than this. We actually have to improve a lot and the middle order and should have to take responsibility, so I can say that it didn’t delight me,” he added.

“A win is a win and I am proud of my boys but definitely there are quite a few loopholes which we have to fix, but overall if you ask honestly I am not satisfied because we are better than this and should have performed well and won it more convincingly.”Mohammad Sami, who surprisingly returned to the national side from nowhere and was making yet another comeback, wavered with his line and length and collected 3 for 36 and 1 for 38 in two games. “In Twenty20 cricket it hap-

pens and you got to understand that the Lahore pitch was always flat and it’s not easy to bowl on it,” Waqar said. “But indeed we gave away a lot of runs in both matches, however the good thing was that we fielded well, but if you want to challenge other teams we have to do a lot and get better in many other departments.

“Sami should be given more time and any bowler should be given ample time to get settled. I think he bowled relatively well from the previously match. One over might have gone badly but it happens in the slog overs, but overall he started well. Looking forward in Twenty20 cricket I think the role of both (Sami and Malik) important as in middle order I still feel it’s tough to over-rely on youngsters.”

Waqar said the two games were important for Pakistan.

“These two matches obviously carried some weight as the way the crowd came in to support us it was just outstanding,” he said. “It was a great response and nothing was hid-

den we all saw that, so has the entire world. It has cast a positive effect on the sovereignty of the country and gave out a positive message to the other countries. So I am proud of the nation, proud of the government and the crowd who came for us.”

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams believes his team didn’t disappoint in the two-match series despite the 2-0 loss. “Obviously they were a much stronger side than us,” he said. “I won’t say I am satisfied from today’s game but there are a lot of positives taken from these last two games.

“I feel we were short of runs in both innings but our fielding and discipline in the bowling haven’t been good. The first game was with no extras, the second we had extras, dropped catches and in the field things were going wrong. Obviously taking catches you win matches and what happened today was that we put down three catches... and smaller things make a difference at the end,” added the experienced all-rounder.

Crowd support softens tough tour for Zimbabwe COURTESY CRICINFO Zimbabwe’s cricketers are being rewarded for their historic tour of Pakistan by having the red carpet rolled out for them and experiencing the kind of treatment they rarely get. While they have gone public with their appreciation through their tweets, they’ve matched that in their off-record comments.

“They have really pulled out all the stops for us.

We are being treated extremely well,” one player said. Unlike their South African, English, Australian or Indian contemporaries, Zimbabwe’s cricketers are on modest pay-cheques, which sometimes do not get paid on time or at all. When they play at home, especially in Harare, the team do not stay at a hotel but at their own homes. They do not travel in a team bus, but by their own means. Now, all that has changed.

When Zimbabwe are escorted to the stadium for training and match days in Lahore, it is by an armed guard, something they expected before leaving. One of the players said the team had heard at least 3,500 security personnel had been deployed for their trip.

Their movements have been restricted by the security arrangements but several Zimbabwe cricketers took to Twitter to open the channels of communication

even before leaving. They retweeted messages from Pakistani fans promising their safety and have since continued sharing their experience on that platform.

Zimbabwe have been enjoying the hospitality and warm reception of fans off the field, too. The team is staying at the Pearl Continental Hotel, an establishment frequented by state presidents, and not at the National Cricket Academy as originally planned.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi.

CMYK

The PCB changed the venue after deciding housing people in the stadium would create the impression the country was not ready for visitors. The change of location means that Zimbabwe’s touring party will see a little more than just the Gaddafi Stadium precinct but not much more. Their travel is limited to the hotel and the ground with shopping, sightseeing or even general roaming around strictly forbidden.